The Days of Chaos
by Aeris Gainsbrough
Summary: Tossed through time, Aeris's memory vanishes within, but with both Zack and Dyne in love with her, they may fight for her, so who will die...and who is the strange man who saved her from the start? (R for Chapter 17 and 22: Lover scenes) Please R&R! ^_^
1. The Beginning

Chapter 1  
  
  
  
Alone in a darken forest a young women speeds off panting frantically as she runs past the trees. Her long brown cape flows behind her and smacks against the trees as she goes. A one point it gets caught and she fell to her knees. The young women, Aeris through her face up to see the incoming Behemoth that stomped madly at her with anger lit in its eyes. Her wide emerald eyes gleamed with fright as she sat defenselessly on the ground.  
  
Aeris through her hands up at her cloak that began yanking frantically at it and it torn fairly easy. She didn't dare stay a moment more as the footsteps began to crush through the ground. An ear-piercing roar rolled through the woods. Aeris could feel it's hot putrid breath against her neck as she ran. She knew she had no hope of escape if she didn't gain speed and with that she yanked her left hand over her head and shot a haste spell upon herself. She raced faster and faster picking up speed as the spell began to settle in.  
  
Aeris knew that if she didn't trick the beast off there was no hiding from its keen sense of smell. Panting from loss of breath she fell helplessly to the ground awaiting to die. She watched as the shadowed behemoth moved in closer and then reached its paw out to strike her. Aeris squinted her eyes closing them tightly, readying herself for the blow but nothing happened. She suddenly felt lifted and she slowly opened her eyes. Another person was above her; She could feel his hands around her waist as he carried her. She could tell it was a man from his form and how strong his hands were. She didn't dare move in fear she might frighten him into dropping her.  
  
The rumbling of the ground continued as the behemoth came after them now. Aeris didn't know what to do now, her magic had been depleted earlier and her strength had been drawn from her body. She lay quietly as she listened to the man's steady breathing from jumping the roots that stuck upwards really far out of the ground.  
  
Aeris's long brown hair fell from the hood on her head and dangled over the man's shoulder. She slowly moved her hand behind her head and reached for it pulling it up piece by piece so not to disturb him or let him trip over it. The rumbling began to fade and the man's pace decreased quickly. He came to a large red wood and laid Aeris down in front of it and collapsed next to her in a hurry breathing in heavily with his head bent low with exhaustion. Aeris reached over to him and softly placed her hand on his shoulder mouthing to him the words "Thank you," Since she was too weak to speak. The man only nodded his head as he sat there trying to regain his breath.  
  
She tried to look into his hood trying to figure out who he was but the darkness made it impossible to see anything in his hood. Then the sudden rumbling returned and the man held his breath while Aeris's eyes lit up and filled with fear. 


	2. The New land

Chapter 2  
  
Aeris looked up and stood pressing herself against the tree breathing heavily as she darted glances around the area in fright. The man yanked her back down by her dress and pressed his finger to his lips.  
  
"You must be quiet, the behemoth can hear the slightest thing," He whispered as he moved himself to the other side of the tree and lifted his hands above his head.  
  
"Warp…" He whispered as soft as he could. Soft white like snowflakes flowed gently from the tips of fingertips in his silver gloves and circled tightly around the tree. A short blast of light appeared and the rumbling suddenly stopped.  
  
"Go, just walk through the tree while the behemoths are blinded!" He commanded.  
  
"But what about-"  
  
"Forgot it just go and hurry! They'll awake from their state soon!" He commanded again. Aeris seemed confused on what to do and just did as he commanded vanishing through it. She seemed to fall through a deep portal and was slammed against the ground on the other side. She squinted her eyes deeply as she struck the hard surface. She groaned in pain and began to open her eyes but got a headache every time she tried Aeris tilted her head to the side and tried to move her arms but the pain was great and she collapsed coughing rapidly. She could taste the thick blood as she began to cough. She could feel the hot warm sun against her long brown hair and knew she had to be far off from where she was.  
  
I wonder who that man was… She thought as she lay silently. Suddenly a deep cold consumed her body and the sun's heat vanished from her skin.  
  
"Hmmm… strange, who's she?" A young man asked. Aeris could feel his eyes on her and she refused to move in fear he might try to kill her while she was weak.  
  
"I don't know. Is she alive?" Another man asked. She could hear his knees crack as he bent down and placed two fingers on the side of her neck. They were extremely cold to the touch and she shuttered as he placed them gently against her.  
  
"Don't think so, she's still moving," He replied to the other and quickly lifted his fingers from her.  
  
"Well if she's not dead, then don't you think we should take her to the infirmary?"  
  
"I don't know. Our doctor isn't very much trusted there anymore you know. He's been accused to kidnapping his patients, and she looks to hurt to have anything done to her without her dying. There's no way she would be able to resist him if he tried to take her to where the others are."  
  
"Yeah well, what are we gonna do with her?"  
  
"I guess I can take her back to my place and help revive her, shouldn't be to hard, if she can feel my fingers she should be able to stand in a couple hours,"  
  
"Fine whatever you want to do."  
  
They finally stopped talking and the one man bent down again and placed his hands under her body and scooped her up into his arms. Aeris could feel her hair drop behind her head and sway with the on coming wind but she was to weak to open her eyes to prove she was awake let alone speak to them.  
  
"Damn she's pretty,"  
  
"Yeah but you ain't getting her and you know it, Dyne!" The other one called out chuckling softly. Aeris could do nothing but lay back and a wait for them to release her so she can get back home and go to the man who saved her and repay him for it. She didn't know what else to do so she refused to move and listened to the men as they started walking towards their home. 


	3. The Monster

Chapter 3  
  
Aeris finally felt the men lay her down on a soft bed. She couldn't figure out where she was and breathed deeply as she heard their footsteps fade off into the distance. Slowly she moved to the side trying to prop herself into a good position to sleep but she could hardly twitch because of the pain that was still swelling up inside her. Suddenly a door swung open and floor seemed to shake with each step the person made that entered the room.  
  
"Hey Dyne! She moved!" the man shouted loudly.  
  
"Really?!" Dyne asked as he rushed into the room and then stopped shortly from the bedside.  
  
Aeris breathed in deeper as she felt him push her hair form her face. His hands had warmed up since she last felt them and she moaned softly as she turned moved her hand to her head.  
  
"Well, Zack? She recovering or what?"  
  
Zack!?!? Aeris thought excitedly as she heard the name ring through her head remembering her old boyfriend's name was Zack.  
  
"Seems like it." He answered to Dyne as she heard him stand up and walk away from her.  
  
"Ack she just needs rest, she's probably awake right now but can't do anything about it," Zack explained as she heard him shove Dyne out the infirmary's door.  
  
"Alright! Alright! I'm going!" Dyne cried out as the door slammed shut behind them.  
  
Finally... She thought as she breathed a shy of relief and drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.  
  
Suddenly a blast rang throughout the building and Aeris opened her eyes slowly. She could hear panic spreading throughout the building as well as the outside.  
  
"THE WEAPON'S ATTACKING!!!" She heard a woman scream from outside a window that was behind her.  
  
"Shit Dyne! That damn thing's come back." She heard Zack tell him. As he walked into the room Aeris got her first look at the young man. She knew him as her Zack. She was too shocked from the noise though to even glance at him.  
  
"Well she's awake." He said to Dyne as he looked down at her. Zack's black spiked up hair was the first visible thing on him. His thick purple sweater was covered with his dark brown leather straps that held to his purple baggy pants. His blackish brown boots seemed invisible against the black cement floor. His eyes were a deep brown and his face was locked in concern as he looked down at her and then glanced out the window behind her. Dyne then walked in behind him. His layer black hair shined with sunlight that poured through the windows and his white sleeveless shirt glowed brightly with it as well and his muscles showed clearly through it like Zack's did. He wore black tight pants that lapped over his black tennis shoes. He had his eyes narrowed against the outside with his face twisted in anger. Aeris slowly pushed herself up and tried to look at what the two were staring at but couldn't see it. She raised her hand to the windowsill and clutched it tightly as she pulled herself up to the corner of it to see if she could see what they were looking at now but she still couldn't find it.  
  
What are they looking at? What made that crash... She silently thought as she quickly glanced around towards different homes in the area. Another crash seemed to happen right in front of the house and she fell to the floor smacking her head hard against the black floor.  
  
"**** she's bleeding again!" Zack yelled as he bent over and picked her up pressing something soft against her forehead where it started stinging with pain.  
  
"Come on lets go before it blows this place up into nothing like it did to Mideel." 


	4. Escape

Chapter 4  
  
Aeris closed her eyes tightly as she looked around the area. She could feel Zack quickly move from the house followed by his friend Dyne. When she finally reopened her eyes it was to disaster. Aeris could hear the people around her rushing passed them screaming. Zack was breathing hard running as fast as he could as he pushed passed the people around him. A deep roar rocked the land beneath them and Zack suddenly lost his footing dropping Aeris and flipping onto the ground. Aeris rolled across the ground for a second and stopped laying quietly against the dirt ground. The sharp pain in her forehead started to return and she painfully pushed herself up with her beaten arms. When she locked her elbows and pushed herself upright she saw the demon roaming over her and blocking the sun that formed around him, giving him a deep bloody red glow.  
  
"Shit, Zack! Of all times you just had to fall!" Dyne hollered as he ran to her and scooped her up checking to see if she had broken anything. She turned her head and looked to Zack as he jumped to his feet quickly and turned to him grunting.  
  
"This is no time to fight, Dyne!" he yelled back as he narrowed his eyes at him and then looked to Aeris. Quickly his face dropped into a horrified expression as he turned his gaze passed both of them.  
  
"What? What's wrong with you, keep going!" Dyne yelled at him starting towards him to snap him out of his trance. Another deep roar shook the land and Aeris turned her head towards the weapon again and noticed it was now hovering over them, was beginning to grab everything it could see, and hurl it at everyone who was running from it.  
  
"Dude! Go!" Dyne screamed again as he put Aeris to her feet and started to push Zack forward.  
  
"That thing is just going to keep killing and killing…," Zack finally said as his face went firm.  
  
"The hell with that! You aren't going back there to play hero damn it!" He told him as he punched him in the side of his arm and grabbed it starting to drag him back.  
  
"Zack he's right…," Aeris told him as she turned to face them. They looked at her shocked that she was talking now and Zack sighed deeply.  
  
"But you don't get how badly this thing has-,"  
  
"I do…," She started, "I do know the pain this thing has created." She told him as she looked to the ground. The Weapon suddenly bent over and wrapped his enormous hand around a large oak tree and hurled it at them. Aeris could feel the rush of wind used to push the tree on and turned to see it coming towards her. Quickly she pushed her hands up in front of her and released a blast of white light from her fingertips making a giant circular shield. The oak's trunk struck her shield as it finally finished itself and pushed it hard into her knocking her to the ground. The tree rested firmly on the ground and Aeris laid in front of it breathing hard.  
  
"Damn tree!" Zack yelled as he ran toward her and bent over. He started to put his arms under her to carry her but she pushed him away.  
  
"I'm fine, if I'm not dead, I'm fine," She told him quickly as she pushed herself up and brushed the dirt from her knees.  
  
"You two have to go with the others." She told them but they didn't seem to want to budge.  
  
"Go! You have no choice unless you want to die!" She screamed looking quite serious.  
  
"If I can't play the hero, neither can you," Zack finally said as he reached around her to carry her again.  
  
"No I'm fine," She said firmly as she tired to fight him but it didn't seem like she would win.  
  
"No you're not! You have blood spilling from you head like a fountain, that's not fine," He told her as he flipped her off her feet and start towards the plains with the other villagers followed closely by Dyne.  
  
"Let me go! I'm fine!" Aeris screamed as she tried to push him away.  
  
"Here." Dyne said as he ran along side him. He quickly pulled a handkerchief from his green pants pocket and pushed against her forehead. Zack pushed his hand away so he wouldn't trip over him, while leaving the cloth on her and Dyne started to run a steady pace again while Zack tried to keep his balance and keep the handkerchief over her bleeding head, trying to slow the blood.  
  
"Stop over there!" Dyne called out to Zack pointing towards a tree breathless looking as if he was about to drop into the ground and give up. Zack did as Dyne begged and lowered Aeris to the ground letting her lay against it. Dyne collapsed completely out of breath next to her boots and Zack leaned against the bark of the tree picking up her shoulders and pulling her on his lap.  
  
"I think I know you but I'm not sure," Aeris said to him as he took the cloth from her head and twisted it letting the warm blood drip onto the ground. Zack seemed to smile as he placed it back on her forehead and sighed deeply as he pressed it gently against her head to stop the blood.  
  
"Well, I know who you are, but I don't think you'll want to know who I am," He told her and she could hear Dyne softly chuckling to himself.  
  
"Oh… shut the hell… up," Dyne told him calmly and Zack glared back at him but then shook his head.  
  
"Ignore him," Zack told her and she laid slightly looking up towards him.  
  
"We'll rest here I guess since Dyne's too weak to keep going."  
  
"HEY! I am… not!" He yelled and Aeris softly giggled at him and slowly began to drift into a silent deep sleep. 


	5. Duel of Hearts

Chapter 5  
  
Aeris awoke to find herself still lying on Zack's lap. The day had gone and it was dark again. She sighed deeply and looked around to see if Dyne was still around. She couldn't see him but she could hear his deep snoring in front of her. She closed her eyes trying to return to her deep sleep but couldn't. Looking around she noticed it was all flat around the plains and she knew her chance was now or never. Slowly she pushed herself off Zack's lap and sat there for a moment looking back at him. His mouth was slightly open and his head was slumped against his shoulder as a pillow. She softly giggled at him and pushed herself up gently standing over the two, letting her hair flow down from her side to behind her.  
  
Aeris started to walk from them towards a cliff that hung shallowly over a small lake. As she stood she looked over into the water remembering a fable that her teacher had once told her. She slowly sat down in front of it swinging her right leg over it as she stared at her reflection.  
  
"Once there was a young woman who thought she was beautiful…" She started, whispering it slightly so not to wake the others, "and she always came to a lake to look down at her reflection…" Aeris suddenly stopped as she heard faint footsteps behind her. She turned swiftly to see Zack was coming towards her.  
  
"And a man lived on the other side of the lake." He said looking down at her and then into the water.  
  
"And one day she and the man fell into the lake…" Aeris continued looking up at him as he sat down beside her.  
  
"And then they came up as one," He finished as he looked up from the water to her. "I heard that story when I was a kid," He told her laughing slightly.  
  
"My… mother told me it when… well before she left me." Aeris told him as she looked away from him and picked up a rock near the edge and skipped it across the lake.  
  
"Yeah I know," He said as he put a hand on her shoulder and then slid it off noticing she wasn't moving.  
  
"No you don't know," She told him shaking her head after a moment and then turning away from him. "She was attacked because of me. Hojo was the name that I'd been told ever since I was young from my mother. I never knew my father… She told me that he died trying to protect both of us from the Shrina when I was…"  
  
"20 days old, and then your mother died when you were 5, slaughtered from the Shrina and Eleana found you next to your dying mother as she spoke her last words to her. Telling her that she wanted her to take care of you," He finished looking over to Aeris as she quickly turned to him.  
  
"How'd you know that?" She asked him with a shocked look on her face as he just looked back at her calmly.  
  
"Well, you told me."  
  
"I… I did?"  
  
"Yeah, you told me when we were living in Midgar together in the same sector." He quickly told her leaning a little closer to her. Aeris slightly moved herself near him and started to close her eyes as they became inches apart from each other and finally…  
  
"Hey! You guys are up early!" Dyne suddenly yelled as Zack stumbled forward passed her and then quickly pushed himself perfectly upright.  
  
"Uhhh.. yeah, I wasn't very tired." Zack quickly said as he jumped to his feet and looked to Dyne starting to stumble over his own words. Aeris did the same, not daring to say a word and started passed him back to the oak tree looking as if she was still tired.  
  
"So what's up with her?" He asked Zack as he started to follow her and then stopped.  
  
"Nothing, she's just confused about what happened that's all." He quickly said to him trying to get himself back to where Aeris was. She was now sitting against the tree with her knees pulled up in front of her and her arms gently crossed and lying on them with her head down.  
  
"So what were you doing?" Dyne said curiously with a smirk on his face that made Zack panic and look everywhere but at Dyne.  
  
"N- Nothing, I was just talking to her about her family." He said quickly trying to push passed him but Dyne grabbed his arm as he went passed tightening his grip around it. He leaned over gently to him and narrowed his eyes at him looking a little angered.  
  
"Don't try anything to get in my way, you know how much I like her…" He said quickly and then through his arm off him crossing it with his other looking across the lake quietly. Aeris watched the whole thing squinting at Dyne wondering why he was acting so strangely. As Zack started to make his way back over she quickly turned her head back into her folded arms and began fall back to sleep as Zack sat down beside her silently. 


	6. Failure to Run

Chapter 6  
  
Aeris suddenly awoke to shaking land. She could feel Zack jump to his feet and he reached behind him pulling out a long thick sword she never noticed before. He had it raised in front of him with his hands at his waist as he quickly glanced around the area. Zack didn't seem to realize that Aeris had woken up, nor did he notice Dyne frantically unwrapping his right arm from under a bandage. When he completely pulled the thin wrapping off Aeris drew back in shock at what she saw. A gleaming black rifle glowed against the sunlight and it was attached to his arm. He had no hand there and her eyes widen as she looked to him. Another shake of the land made her fall back against the tree hard, breaking her glance with Dyne as he just started to look back at her. Quickly, she put her hands against the grassy ground and pushed herself up to Zack.  
  
"What's going on?!" Aeris screamed over the rumbling as Zack turned to her.  
  
"We're probably going to have to run!" He yelled back to her, as he looked away and in front of him.  
  
"No, I want to know what that is! What is it!?" Aeris demanded as she slapped her hands in front of her to make a small explosion of white light around them. She lowered her head and closed her eyes softly as the light dimmed slightly and then thinned itself out while growing in length. When the light finally stopped what was left was a shimmering gold staff that stretched from Aeris's head to the ground. Two gleaming Phoenix wings curved into the center forming a heart shape end that didn't quite connect at the crease. A small pale green orb sat upon a short pedestal between the wings that was attached the main rod of the staff that seemed to be made out of complete liquid because the white inside the orb swelled against the pale green.  
  
"Wow! I didn't know you knew magic!" Dyne screamed, smirking at her quickly.  
  
"And I didn't know you had a gun for an arm…" Aeris answered back to him smiling back and then turned away to face Zack. Dyne scowled at Zack for a moment when Aeris turned her gaze towards him and she noticed it. Swiftly, he changed his expression as he started walking a little bit forward.  
  
"Come on we have to get out of here! Dyne! Get back here!" Zack hollered out to him as Dyne started into a paced jog away from them.  
  
"Dyne come back! Listen to him!" Aeris yelled out with a hint of concern in her voice as she watched him. Dyne seemed to ignore both of them as he kept running and then he suddenly stopped and started back towards them full speed swinging his arm forward as hard as he could screaming out something that she couldn't make out over rumbling. She could feel a tight hard tug on her wrist and she was pulled back being dragged by Zack.  
  
"What?! What are you doing?!" Aeris yelled to him while trying to fight his hand off her wrist, but the harder she tried the tighter he got.  
  
"Dyne said it's coming!" He yelled back at her as he put his long sword back behind his back nearly blinded by its gleam against the sun's rays. Aeris turned her head behind her but it seemed Dyne was too far behind. She pushed herself up to his side trying not to trip and then gripped his hand trying to get him off.  
  
"Dyne needs help! Go back!"  
  
"No! Dyne will be fine! If we go back we'll all be killed!"  
  
"By what?! Answer me that, by what!?" She demanded but quickly tripped over her feet and slammed her face into the ground. She could taste the mixture of blood and dirt in her mouth and pushed herself up noticing Zack was slowing and Dyne was coming to her. Dyne suddenly stopped and pulled Aeris to her feet and then tugged her hard forward.  
  
"Just tell me what you're running from!" She screamed as she pushed her hand against her face trying to rid herself of the dirt that was spread across her face.  
  
"That!" Dyne hollered back at her pointing behind her head. Aeris quickly turned to see the Ultimate Weapon had returned.  
  
"DYNE! WATCH IT!" Zack yelled as he stopped and headed towards them. Dyne turned quickly to see the Ultimate Weapon was opening his mouth and pouring in energy from all around it forming a large pulsar ball. Dyne through himself to the ground as soon as Zack dived down at them and brought Aeris back to the ground with him.  
  
"Cover your ears fast!" Zack told them and Aeris did as she was told without thinking pushing as hard as she could against her ears trying to make her seem deaf. Aeris could feel a blast of wind push against her and smack into Zack's head, which was now pressed into the soft dirt. The grass and loose soil around them seemed to lift and shoot passed them. She closed her eyes tightly, fearful that something might happen to them, and then a sharp stab of pain shot from her head to her waist making her jolt back and try to let go of her ears. When she tried to pull away from her ears though to see what had hit her face she noticed they were suddenly pushed back to where they were with a brute force. Aeris could feel that Zack was getting pulled away from her and Dyne was being knocked to side away from her.  
  
"GUYS! COME BACK! FIGHT IT!" She heard Zack scream to them faintly through the shock wave. A sudden blast of wind then shot Aeris blank in the head and flung her into a stone side, or so she believed. The wind finally settled around her but she could hear no one or sense anyone near her. Slowly, Aeris opened her eyes to see herself lying in front of a gentle ocean. She frantically glanced around her and shot to her feet only to be knocked back to the ground from her weakness.  
  
"No…" She whispered as she laid back tiredly and continued to look around, "Guys? Where'd you go? Where are you? Zack!? Dyne?! Guys!" Aeris called out softly as she tried to regain her strength and balance enough to go and search for the others. 


	7. The Truth

Chapter 7  
  
Aeris slowly began to get up, feeling weak as she pushed herself up. She knew she had hit her head hard because of the headache that was starting within her. She dropped to her knees close to the water and held herself up above it as it washed under her. Exhausted, She flipped onto her side and laid in the wet cool water as it pushed against her and tried to relax with the water washing against her wounds she could feel on her back. Her body wanted to just give up and go to sleep but she knew she couldn't because she had no idea what could happen to her since she didn't have a good enough idea of the land she was on yet. The salt water slightly stung against her wounds and slipped under her head and gently into her eyes making them shoot open in pain.  
  
She groaned heavily as she pushed herself to her knees again and squinted into the setting sun. The area around her was silent as she looked around and pushed herself up.  
  
"Guys?" She asked into the area around her softly as she looked around, but she heard nothing. She could see her staff laying down near the grass, where she had landed and she slowly made her way over to it. Dropping to her knees, she scooped it into her open hand and stood once more. A voice made her eyes blast open and she turned quickly around to see someone in the distance looking as though he was hurt. He groaned deeply and placed his hand behind his head but stood under the shade of a tree so all she could see was the outline of his body.  
  
Believing it was Zack or Dyne she grinned broadly and took off towards it.  
  
"Dyne! Zack!" She called out to him and he looked up at her but his expression was still unclear. She stopped in front of him not daring to touch him since he stood perfectly still and he suddenly spoke.  
  
"Uhh... what'd you call me?" He asked, with his voice as deep as Zack's with a hint of confusion in it.  
  
"Zack? Is that you?" Aeris asked him taking a dew steps back from him, frightened that it might be a man from Shrina instead.  
  
"No… no…. I'm not Zack…" He told her as he stepped forward out of the shade and stared at her. He had a hood over his head and his face was hidden by it. A slight amount of blonde hair stuck out from the front of his hood and his eyes glowed a bright mako blue and Aeris looked at him wide eyed remembering where she had seen him.  
  
"Hey! You're that guy that saved me from that thing." She told him and he raised his hand back behind his head and pulled his hood off.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Hi Aeris." He told her as he unhooked his robe and tossed it behind him. He wore almost the same thing Zack had worn when she last saw him except for his boots. They were laced with black leather around the top and strapped around his ankles. His deep purple tang top sweater stuck out like a sore thumb, next to his pants that were hooked over his shoulders by light brown belts. The one thing she noticed the most though was his long thick silver sword that was hooked to his back with the same two material holes on the top and the same gripping on the end, like Zack had.  
  
"How'd did you know my name?" She asked him confusingly and his eyes widened looking deeply concerned for her.  
  
"How could I not know?" He asked her with his eyes now scanning her.  
  
"Well, I don't know you… What's your name?" Aeris asked him. He just about stumbled backwards then and backed up a few steps stuttering as he spoke.  
  
"I'm C-Cloud. Did you hit you head or something?" He asked her now starting to calm himself.  
  
"No, I'm fine, I just stumbled out of my portal and here I am…" She informed him. He then moved back closer to her moving his black-gloved hand to the side of her face. "Have you seen a man named Zack or Dyne?" She asked him again looking around him trying not to let him touch her.  
  
"Zack? Ummm… he's dead, Aeris. The same goes with Dyne." He told her.  
  
"D-Dead? When? Where are they?" She stuttered stepping back from him.  
  
"Zack died like 7 years ago, and Dyne about 2 years, don't you remember? You were there that day Dyne through himself back off the cliff in front of Barret!" He yelled at her and she began to shake her head furiously at him.  
  
"N-No! I just saw them! They're not dead! The Ultimate Weapon came back a-,"  
  
"The Ultimate Weapon is gone too!" He interrupted and reached out to her shoulders putting his hands tightly on them looking deep into her eyes. "We need to get you to the infirmary fast, there's something defiantly wrong with you." He told her as she struggled to back away from him.  
  
"No it's not!" She screamed and pushed away from him. "That thing put me where I am now! I don't know you, but you're making this all up! I don't know Barret either! I just know I want to get back with Zack and Dyne now!"  
  
"Aeris!" He hollered as he slammed his hands back on her shoulders and tightened his grip. "They're dead! They're not coming back! You must have whacked your head on something because what you're saying is impossible!" He yelled at her as he shook her hard and stared deep into her eyes. Aeris began to then clutch her staff tightly and she through it up at his arm smashing it against his elbow making him let go of her. She turned swiftly knocking his other hand off and start to run swiftly away from him as he screamed out in pain and dropped to his knees.  
  
"Damn it! Aeris come back here!" He ordered to her as he pushed himself to his feet and started after her. Frightened, she pushed her staff above her head and twirled it as fast as she could in her right hand.  
  
"HASTE!" She screamed and it began letting yellow sparks flow down around her from the end of the staff, causing her to gain speed and run away from him until he was finally out of sight.  
  
Figuring that he probably gave up because of his broken elbow, she stopped in front of a streamed that glowed eerily in front of her. Looking into it, she couldn't even see her reflection. She slowly sat down in front of it looking deeply into the liquid feeling tired from running from Cloud.  
  
"Zack… You can't be dead… at least not for 5 years… or was that man right." She said to herself as she pushed her knees to her chest and folded her arms on the top of them, slightly rocking back and forth.  
  
"No!" She yelled to herself. "You're not dead! You can't be! I couldn't have imagined the whole thing up! Cloud's wrong!" She yelled as she pushed her head into her arms, falling into a deep peaceful sleep… or so she wanted to believe. 


	8. The LifeStream

Chapter 8  
  
Aeris awoke to the soft rain that pelted off her cheeks and ran down her neck. She slowly opened her eyes to see that the stream before her began to give off an eerily vibrate glow against the night sky. She quickly stood looking around to see if Cloud had followed her but there seemed to be no sign of him.  
  
Cautiously, Aeris made her way towards the stream and moved her shaking cold right hand towards it, fearful of what it might do to her fingers once they had touched or even skimmed the surface of it. She bent slightly over trying to keep her balance well placed, fearful of falling into it. Soon her hand was perfectly parrell to the stream's liquid and a hot cloud of steam rose and surrounded her hand making it glow a pale green.  
  
Jolting back in fear, she pulled her hand to her chest and examined her fingers moving, them slowly to see if the strange water had any effect on them.  
  
"What is that…" She asked herself as she glanced back at it. Her Emerald green eyes lit up as she first noticed that the rain wasn't touching the stream, instead it seemed to shoot it back into the sky when it got close enough but with the same strange glow.  
  
"No… This can't be…" Aeris told herself as she watched the glowing raindrops ascend back into the night sky above her, like fireworks that had just been shot off. Aeris dropped to her knees and slowly crawled to the streams edge looking closely into it. Her reflection still did not show and it disturbed her violently.  
  
Taking a deep breath she tightly closed her eyes in fright and pushed her trembling hand into the ooze and immediately after screams began to fill her head. Aeris fiercely yanked her hand out of it and stumbled backwards breathing hard and rapidly. The screams slowly vanished from her mind and left her shuttering in shock.  
  
"What…what was that…" She asked herself as she began to try and calm herself from her shocked state.  
  
"It's called a LifeStream…" Came a gentle soft voice from behind her.  
  
Startled, Aeris jumped to her feet and swung around gripping her Princess Guard tightly in her hands but her right one slipped off, leaving the stream's ooze across the top grip of her staff and it fell to the ground but she clutched it with her left hand to keep it from falling into the stream. An outline of a man came into view through the glowing drops of rain and she backed up a few steps as if threatening to fall back into the stream.  
  
"What's wrong Aeris?" The voice of the man asked her as he continued to move towards her, not looking as if in any mood to cease coming towards her.  
  
"Stop!" She commanded as she shook in fear, almost stuttering over her words as she begged him to stop.  
  
"And what would you do? You've already had a taste of the planet's pain and I don't think you want another," He told her as he continued towards her.  
  
Soon he stood close enough seen perfectly through the light, giving his body a vibrate glow. He hand a cigarette between his lips and it glowed a bloody red from the heat it was giving off. In his left hand he held something long and sharp, like a staff only with a deep cut diamond edge point to it, more or less a decorated Spear because of all it's designs that laced around it.  
  
"St-Stop! G- Go away!" Aeris begged stuttering over each word, slipping slightly as she backed up even further, nearly too much to handle.  
  
"What? Don't you get who I am?" He asked confusingly, the smell of thick smoke filled the air as he neared her and she started to feel dizzy from it.  
  
His blonde hair was lit against the LifeStream's glow. The man's blue jean jacket was hard to make out but it lit up with his white shirt underneath. The man's blue jeans seemed black against now that the rain had drenched them as well.  
  
He lifted his brown leather gloved hand to his face and pulled the cigarette from between his lips with his two fingers.  
  
"Damn rain. I can never smoke when I want to!" He whined as he flicked the deadbeat cigarette over his shoulder.  
  
"Who are you?" She asked and his expression turned out to be not much different from Cloud's as he raised an eyebrow to her as his eyes grew in surprise.  
  
"Aeris? What the hell is wrong with you? Did Cloud rough you up to much or something?" He asked chuckling under his breath. Aeris shook her head in confusion and he continued to laugh as he spoke.  
  
"I'm Cid!" He yelled raising his arms above his head with his spear clutched in his left hand tightly as if for a hug making her jump back in surprise, forgetting that she was on the edge of the stream.  
  
"Shit!" Cid screamed as his face expression turned to horror and he launched himself forward stretching out his right hand trying to grab her, but missed and tripped backwards as if being pulled away from her. She frailed her arms out to him screaming as she fell and clutched her staff still almost breaking it because of her strength in fear. Aeris screamed out as she struck the LifeStream and the screams cried out and flooded through her mind as the stream finally engulfed her body and pulled her under. 


	9. The Exsitence of Mako

Chapter 9  
  
  
  
Aeris awoke to the screams that filled her mind as she sunk farther and farther below her. Her eyes shot open as the screams began to grow through her head and she through her hands to her ears shaking her head violently trying to knock the voices from her mind. Aeris screamed herself trying to block the others but they only grew over her own voice.  
  
Suddenly, she felt something grip her shouldar and she started to get dragged upward. Her face broke the surface and she gasped for air as she closed her eyes tightly from the sudden pain that pushed through her. The figure laid her against the ground and held to her side as he gazed down at her. Aeris coughed up the stream and she could feel a blanket being pulled over her soaked body and then it began to lift her, cradling her in his arms.  
  
"You ok?" He asked and Aeris instantly knew who it was and shot open her eyes. Zack looked down at her, his face at first blurry from the stream's water. "Wow, Dyne come on! She was in the LifeStream, we have to get her to a doctor, she's probably covered in Mako Poisoning." He called over and Dyne made his way towards her looking really conserned.  
  
"Damn, Where'd you disappear to yesterday! One minute you're with us the next you've completely vanished." Dyne yelled as he pushed her hair from her eyes.  
  
"You... you two are dead." Aeris said to them squinting passed the sun to meet Zack's eyes.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about girl?! If we're dead how come we're standing right in front of you?!" He yelled raising a hand to wack her at the side of the side of the head but then stopped.  
  
"Where did you hear that from?" Zack asked her looking confused as he started walking away from the stream.  
  
"Cloud said you're dead." Aeris mangaged to say.  
  
"Cloud? Who's he?" Zack asked again looking away from her, glancing ahead of him. "Do you know anyone named Cloud, Dyne?"  
  
"No, psh, you and the other villiagers were they only ones I knew and there was no Cloud there." Dyne told him with a little anger in his voice as he glared at Zack. "Where are we going anyways, Zack?"  
  
"I don't know, somewhere where there's people." Zack answered him quickly.  
  
"But you don't even know if you're walking into a desert dumbass!" He screamed looking very angry now.  
  
"Well, you don't know if I'm going towards the Gold Saucer even!" Zack hollared back turning his glance towards Dyne.  
  
"What it!" Dyne screamed at Zack his eyes lighting up as Zack tripped over the large rock that was planted into the ground and smacked his head against it, dropping Aeris to the ground. Thick warm blood splattered against his face and he stood pushing his gloved hand against his wound.  
  
"Ah fuck!" He screamed with his eyes closed tight as he sat there holding his open wound now with both his hands.  
  
"Shit, Zack! I told you to quit looking everywhere except where you were going!"  
  
"I was looking to where I was going!"  
  
"You were not you were glaring at me! Now damn it hold still!" Dyne commanded as he kneeled down in front of him and took a white rag from his pocket and placed it gently against his cut.  
  
Aeris pushed the blanket off her and sat up looking at Zack. Slowly she stood and made her way over to him kneeling next to Dyne when she reached him.  
  
"Sorry Aeris I didn't mean to dr-" Zack started to say as Aeris pushed a finger against his lips.  
  
"It's alright, stand back Dyne, please." She asked of him and Dyne, looking a bit confused stood and backed a few steps. Carefully, she moved her hand to his forehead and placed it flat over his wound, and closed her eyes gently.  
  
"What are you do-" Zack started and Aeris shook her head at him.  
  
"Shhh..., or you'll screw it up, Zack." she told him and she could hear Dyne snickering behind her. Ignoring him, she silently focused her thoughts to her hand and a gently white glow around his wound. Her hand began to sightly joint and she had to let go recoiling from the blast.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" Dyne screamed as Aeris reopened her eyes to see Dyne's were wide in surprise.  
  
"It's a Curing spell..." She told him softly. Zack then slowly reached up to his forehead and pulled the rag from his head revealing that his wound had vanished. He reached for his sword and pulled it to his face looking into it as he pushed his hair from his face, examing his head.  
  
"Damn...." Zack said still looking around his head.  
  
"How did you do that?" Dyne asked Aeris, in coufusion still.  
  
"I don't know, I just know I can." She told them, pushing herself up from the ground.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know how?!" Dyne screamed looking extremly shocked now.  
  
"Ah, Shut the fuck up Dyne, you can do things you don't understand too." Zack told him as he stood and placed his sword carefully back behind him and crossed his arms. Dyne looked upset now as he marched up to Zack, and slammed him across the face with his fist.  
  
"Shut up! You're not to say anything!" Dyne told him as he backed away now, from Zack, as he rubbed his knuckles.  
  
"Just keep going, bitch, and don't you fucken dare strike me again." Zack told him as he narrowed his eyes at Dyne and stared him down, while rubbing his right cheek. Dyne looked deeply into Zack's eyes angerily grinding his teeth, wanting more then anything to strike him.  
  
"Fine..."  
  
Aeris looked confused as the two glared at each other and then started up passed her turning quickly away looking disgusted with each other. She sighed deeply as she followed between them as they paced. It seemed like hours before they saw another tree and it seemed strange to Aeris since it was all flat plains with miles of fresh green grass in front of them. She had never seen anything like this before because she could always see a patch of even a few trees around her. Zack and Dyne remained deadly silent and at one point Aeris had to look up at both of them to make sure they were still with her.  
  
Disturbed she suddenly spoke up breaking the silence that eluded her mind.  
  
"So... ummm.. what a lifestream?" She asked and Zack looked up at her in shock. "What? You don't know what a lifestream is?" Zack asked her looking at her in great surprise. She shook her head quickly and he stopped blinking quickly at her to make sure he wasn't just imagining and then started walking with them again.  
  
"It a river of souls, Aeris." He started to explain and she stopped looking curiously at him.  
  
"A river of souls? H- How?"  
  
"Well.... It's kind of hard to explain. Ummm... Everyone has a soul, you know, and when they die, they're soul suppose to enter the LifeStream and then flows with it until it is reborned as some kind of animal or plant." Zack told her stuttering over his words, looking as if he screwed something up.  
  
"So you mean, if I were to die, I would end up in that stream and would be born again as like a tree or something?" She asked him looking down at the ground confusionly.  
  
"Yeah exactly." Dyne told her. Aeris then remembered what Cid had told her before she had fallen and looked back up at Zack.  
  
"A man named Cid approached me before I fell into that river... He said that I probably wouldn't want another taste of the planet's pain..." Aeris told him looking confused.  
  
"The Planet's pain are the souls of the streams. In Midgar there are machines called Mako Reactors that are draining the souls from the planet, using them up and then throwing them away like garbage. The Planet will die someday and th-"  
  
"The Planet will die? But it's just a big thing of rock." Aeris said, interuppting Dyne's explination.  
  
"Yes it is, but the LifeStream makes it stay like that, if the Mako Reactors were to suck all the lifestream from the world- Well hold on let me show you," Zack added as he walked over to a nearby bouldar that was no bigger then he was and pulled out his sword. Placing it above his head he sliced it down the middle and then ordered Dyne to hurry over there to hold the side and as he held the other side up.  
  
"Aeris get over here for a sec!" Zack commanded and she walked slowly over to him and stared at him.  
  
"Do what you did before with that white light to the center of the rock." He added and she lifted her hand and let the white light flow through the crack of the rock and it spread around the entire bouldar like tons of rivers. Zack then let go and the bloudar held tight as the white magic flowed through it and Dyne did the same looking in amazement at the rock.  
  
"Damn... I didn't you could do that to a bouldar." Dyne said as he stared at it.  
  
"Yeah now step back in front of the large crack I made ok,"  
  
"Alright." Dyne said in agreement as he watched the fake rivers begin to sparkle gently.  
  
"Aeris, can you pull the magic off the bouldar?" Zack asked her as he placed his hand softly on her shouldar.  
  
"I- I guess I can," She answered him as she pulled away from his grasp and pushed her hand against the main cut in the rock.  
  
"Don't close your eyes either ok?" Zack told her still watching her.  
  
"I'll try," Aeris told him as she took a deep breathe and began to draw the energy back through her palm and into her body. Soon it was gone and she fell back from the energy and the rock completely spit back and slammed into the ground.  
  
"See? The LifeStream is like glue that holds the planet together, if it's taken away it'll completely fall apart." Zack explained as he leaned forward and pulled Aeris to her feet.  
  
"Does the Mako Poisoning come from the LifeStream as well?" She asked as he let go of her.  
  
"Mako is LifeStream. Midgar just calls it that so the people won't know what it really is that they're using." Dyne told her as he moved to he other side and looked deeply at her trying to get her to understand.  
  
"Well we'll have plently of time to explain all this when we reach a town somewhere ok? We can't stop, we have to keep going otherwise we'll miss our chance to get you checked for Mako Poisoning. I'm surprised you haven't fainted yet, most do after a minute in the LifeStream because that poison is so strong. It could be a knew sickness or something that'll take time to develop though in you, we don't know, so we better hurry." Dyne told her gently looking concerned for her. Zack rolled his eyes and turned away from them sighing deeply and then turned back around and started walking passed them, smacking Dyne's back as he went.  
  
"Come on lover boy." He told him chuckling under his breath but looking slightly hurt as he continued. Aeris shook her head and started after him with Dyne at her side as she followed, confused about everything they had told her. Cloud though had confused her the most, he had just told her that they were dead yet they stood in front of her breathing, moving, and talking. She figured they probably forgot about what she said about them being dead by now and were more focused on getting somewhere. 


	10. The Confusion

Chapter 10: The Confusion  
  
Slowly Zack made his way to a tree and leaned against it breathing hard closing his eyes as he did so.  
  
"You ok?" Aeris asked him with Dyne at her side looking deeply concerned for him.  
  
"Coarse... I am!" He told them trying to raise his voice over his cough.  
  
"Maybe you're the one who needs to get to a doctor, Zack." Dyne joked trying to get Zack to freak out and shape up.  
  
"I do not!" He yelled looking up at him.  
  
It was the first time Aeris noticed his eyes. The bright baby blue eyes, the same as the ones Cloud had. The sword too was also the same, with the exact placing of the two holes near the grip and the color matched too.  
  
Even Zack's clothes matched Cloud's and it disturbed her. Slowly she made her way over to him and bent down slightly to match her sight with his.  
  
"Geez, does she always have to do this?" Dyne asked, jealously hidden within his question was hinted as he spoke.  
  
Aeris nor Zack spoke. Instead they just blankly stred at each other and Aeris finally snapped out of it and stood back from him shuddering slightly.  
  
"What? What is it?" Zack asked her looking strangely at her.  
  
"Maybe it's your breath." Dyne told him sacasticly snickering as he made the remark.  
  
"You're, You're Cloud. You have to be! Or he is you... I don't know. This is all so confusing!" She shouted as she dropped to her knees and pushed her face into her hands, sobbing softly. Dyne and Zack stood over her looking at each other for answers to her sudden out burst.  
  
"Aeris? What the hell are you talking about?" Dyne asked her quickly shrugging and shaking his head at her in confusion.  
  
Aeris lifted jer jead and shook it quickly letting her tears fling off from the side of her face.  
  
"Didn't we tell you already we have no idea who Cloud is? He's someone who just appeared in your dreams when you were knocked out that's all." Zack told her trying to calm her down.  
  
"No, no, no! Hr has to be real! He had the same shoes, the same sword, the same strength, clothes, wisdom, even the same eyes as you, Zack. But his hair... his face... his voice... It was all different. He was a different person! You can't dream of something you've never seen, or heard from. He said you were both dead/ You had died 7 years ago and y- you two years ago, Dyne. I couldn't have just blasted into the future and came back! This makes no sense!" Aeris suddenly told them.  
  
"I think the Mako Posioning is starting to sink in, Dyne. We'd better get her help fast!" Zack told Dyne quickly.  
  
"No! I'm fine! I know what I saw! I know what I heard! This isn't a joke! I'm not imagining all these things!" She screamed looking to them as her tears poured down her pale cheeks.  
  
Dyne's eyes suddenly grew large as he stared at her and Zack noticed that he was. He followed Dyne's gaze to her face to see that her tears were a pale green color that shimmered like gllitter.  
  
"Shit! Dyne get her and run!" Zack scremed and Dyne obeyed him without question as he stepped towards Aeris and scooped her off the ground, into his arms and started running after Zack who was now going full speed.  
  
A loud roar from the nearby woods that were coming into view made Zack stop and pull his sword from his back.  
  
"Fuck... Ah fuck! We're on the second continent, Dyne!" Zack yelled to him as he started to back up.  
  
"Damn it Zack! I told you we were going the wrong way!"  
  
"No! We were going the right way damn it! Past here is Rocket Town!! You know how much help we would be able to get there for her!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about!? How do you know that?! I thought it was Nibleham, Nibel Moutain, and then Rocket Town!"  
  
"That's the other way! We're on the Chocobo Pennisula!! Near Bone Village! It's where that big red Rapter thing lives! It feeds on them mostly!"  
  
"Mostly?! Then what else does it feed on!?"  
  
"Us if we don't gind another way!"  
  
"Brillant Zack! Now where's the other wat around this god damn thing!"  
  
"The only way is through it, Dyne!"  
  
"Fuck Zack! You should have said that before. Now what are you going to do!?"  
  
Another roar ripped through the land and made Zack back a few more steps as he place his arm in front of his face to sheild the debry that was pushed into him and he could smell the hot breath of the beast that remained in the forest, well hidden in the darkness.  
  
"What else is there to do?!" Zack shouted over another cry of the beast. Dyne's eyes lit up instantly to this question and he shook his head at him furiously.  
  
"You'll get us all killed!" He called to him placing Aeris as gently as he could onto the ground, trying not to scar her with his gun hand, or even hit the trigger.  
  
Aeris could feel the ground beneath her start to rumble and she pushed off it looking around trying to keep herself balanced.  
  
"Well... Here we go!"  
  
"No! I will not go in ther!" Dyne shouted as Zack started towards the wods, but stopped when Dyne yelled at him. Zack turned in surprise and started at him blankly for a moment and then shrugged at him looking confused.  
  
"And why not?!"  
  
"Because it's coming to us!" Dyne screamed as Aeris's eyes shot open in surprise as she looked up at Dyne her body shaking in fear and then turned towards the forest and stared at it for a moment, only to hear the splitting of the trees and the slamming of them falling on each other and the ground. The tree's leaves rusled loudly and she could see, from the top of the hill that they had stepped on, that the trees were falling to the sides leaving a great thick open line that was heading towards the end of the forest near them.  
  
Zack seemed to have no clue on what to do and Dyne could only stand in front of Aeris with his gun pointed out towards the woods, slightly shaing in fear from what was coming at them. 


	11. The Battle

Chapter 11: The Battle  
  
A sudden crash made Aeris fall back as a tree on the edge of the forest crumbled to the ground and indented into the grass.  
  
Dyne pulled the trigger in fright and the bullet exploded from its barrel and started to hurtle towards the back of Zack's head.  
  
"Shit! Zack!" Dyne screamed causing him to towards Dyne. Zack stood wide eyed for a moment and the twisted his wide sword from it's sharp end away from him to the side making the thick side shield his face. The bullet reflected off and Dyne gave a heavy sigh of relief as he breathed in deeply while whipping the swear from his forehead with his right arm.  
  
Aeris pushed herself to her feet and glanced around noticing that it had gone deathly silent.  
  
Dyne seemed to noticed too and loked a but panicked for a minute and then took off down the hill towards Zack.  
  
"Stay there, Aeris!" He called as he put his hand out behind him with his palm facing her while glancing back at her for a second.  
  
"Dyne what are you doing?! Get back up there with her!" Zack screamed, his eyes deep and serious as he spoke.  
  
"No, it's too quiet!" He shouted back.  
  
Aeris didn't know what to do. She cowered over to a nearby tree and kneeled behind it wishing the two would return to the safety of the place they had been but neither seemed to budge.  
  
"Guys come on! Get back up here!" She yelled to them looking frighten for their safety.  
  
"See? She needs you, now go back up there, Dyne!" Zack commanded Dyne with his eyes steeply narrowed as he glared at him.  
  
"Quit trying to be the god damn hero, Zack! You're going to get yourself kiled if you ke-," Another tree split interupting Dyne.  
  
It continued to crack for a minute and then it gell towards them. Zack and Dyne both jumpped back from it and the tree smashed into the ground between them.  
  
Aeris closed her eyes and turned away as it plunged into the soft soil. She turned back around slowly, shuddering deeply as she did so.  
  
A beast suddenly leaped onto the fallen log and dust from the debry flew around it shrouding its blood red color. It slowly opened and clsoed its mouth revealing its sharp yellow teeth an had thick yellowish brown saliva dripping out the sides and corners of it's lips. It's tail was thick and looked very powerful with it's four sharpen spikes on the tip. It had all it's two back feet shuffling behind it like a bull ready to charge while it's front to feet were pulled close to it like a T-Rex, pawing in front of it while it glanced at Dyne and then Zack who were both trying to steady themselves.  
  
Dyne had a look of death implanted into his face as his gun shook wildly in extreme fear and began to shoot like crazy at it. The first bullet skid to the side of the beast cutting it, hardly giving it anything to worry about. It was clear that Dyne was too horrified aimed straight at its heart. Zack too was shaking rapidly as he made his way steadily behind the rapter.  
  
"Dyne!!!" Aeris screamed as she pushed herself up and out from behind the tree only to see Dyne get slammed into the ground by the beast's tail. Zack still was trying to get behind the beast, but the tail was making it impossible to near it.  
  
The rapter turned towards Aeris and it's tail smacked Zack upside the head as it turned throughing him to the ground next to Dyne. It growled deeply angered at her and lowered it's head to charge. Aeris pulled her hands in front of her stomach and crossed them trying to control her shaking to see if the monster would even notice her and it seemed to notice her well.  
  
The monster started towards her and in a frantic attempt to bring it down Dyne started blasting at it as much as he could while Zack through himself forward at it swinging his sword down, but he could on skim it's back, which it didn't seem to notice as it continued to charge towards Aeris.  
  
Aeris started to back up a few steps praying to herself that it would just turn away from her and the others and run towards something else but it didn't seem like it was going to.  
  
"You stupid ass rapter!! Come b- back here!" Zack yelled at it, soundly slightly braver then what he had seemed before.  
  
Despite Zack's desprate scream the rapter contintued to run at her. Aeris figured enough was enough and turned to run but felt a tug on the back of her jacket. She turned to see that it had gripped her jacket in it's teeth. She started to struggle to pull it off but it had too much of it in it's mouth for her to pulled her arms out of the sleeves. She started pounding on it's head and stopped after the thrid hit since it bruised her hands.  
  
Suddenly, a loud tear came from behind the rapter and it let go of her jacket and she dropped to her knees recoiling from the pain in her legs that was now starting to sting.  
  
Aeris slowly turned her head to see that Zack had plunged his sword deep into its back. He had the sharp edge facing her with his right hand clasping on the bottom of the grip with his fingers towards him and his left was the opposite direction and upside down.  
  
Sweat poured down his face as he steadied his breathing and Aeris pushed the green liquid from her face. She looked at it closely as it shimmered beautifully in the palms of her hands. Aeris looked back up at Zack and noticed that Dyne was standing close by, now completely recovered from shaking.  
  
Zack then pulled his sword back and tore through the back end and then he pulled forward as the beast shivered and tore through its front back to it's head completely slicing it in half. When Zack yanked his sword from the rapter's corpse it stood for a moment and then fell to the opposite side.  
  
Blood poured from the inside and the heart gushed more blood as it continued to pump it for a short second. The organs inside slowly pushed to the side and spilled out onto the ground and Aeris pulled her hands to her mouth trying not to get sick as she turned away from the two. Zack dropped his sword to the ground and collasped next to Aeris as she fell to her knees closing her eyes, trying to whipe the image of the bloody corpse from her mind.  
  
Dyne sat down on the other side of her and placed a hand gently on her shouldar looking to her face to make sure she was alright. The remains of her pale green tears still stayed on her face a glew brightly even in the shadow she was casting in front of her. The sun was warm on her back and the thick dreadful smell of decay rose to her nose and she quickly pushed her hands against it to block the smell of the beast while her eyes watered from it.  
  
"Damn does this thing reak!" Dyne yelled as he pushed his own right hand to his face and turned away from it. "Can we please go now!" He begged as he closed his eyes and stood looking away from it.  
  
"Good thinking, Dyne." Zack told him as he started to stand and then leaned over, wrapping his arms around Aeris's wasit and pulled her up.  
  
"Come on. We have to get you help still and it's just a short ways away now." Zack told her softly as he let go and went for his sword that laid silently next the dead monster. He closed his eyes, turned away and held his nose as he leaned slightly over and snatched his thick sword that was no longer its clean silver, but a deep red from the blood that was now starting to dry.  
  
"Well, come on, the sooner we leave the better." Zack told him as he reopened his eyes and started pasted it. Dyne looked to Aeris, looking a little concerned and then nodded to her and she did the same back quickly. Aeris didn't know what else to do but to follow them. She sure as hell didn't want to stay back there with the corpse that was rotting quicker then ice could melt because of the heat. She stumbled a bit trying to whipe her face clean of the pale green liquid still while walking down the side of the hill but she couldn't help but feel that there was something wrong. It seemed something was out of place. The guys were making a big deal about what she wasn't understanding and she felt as if she were the only one, asking these types of questions besides curious small children.  
  
Where was Rocket Town? She certainly had never heard of that name before, and had never heard of such a beast existing at all. Her mind suddenly filled with questions that she couldn't answer and she began to wonder if it was the work of the mako poisoning they were talking about. Surely if she got rid of it her mind would be set back into place and she would be able to remember these things. Aeris stared at her feet as she walked and Dyne looked to her confusingly, making sure she was ok. Zack glanced back a few times also and their walk became silent except for the rustling of the leaves that littered the ground around them as they walked through the forest. Just a few more miles of forest and soon they would finally be in Rocket Town, she hoped. 


	12. Rocket Town

Chatper 12: Rocket Town  
  
Aeris continued to walk with the two, getting tired as she went, but refused to stop. Zack seemed tired as well and the sun was beating down its heat firecly. Dyne's shirt had turned from white to gray from the sweat that soaked it. Aeris used her staff to keep her balance pushing it into the ground as she took a few more steps forward.  
  
"Damn Zack.... I thought you said it was only a few miles away..." Dyne said as he hunched over for a minute and then pulled back his head, pushing his hair back from his eyes.  
  
"It is. We- We'll be there soon." Zack told him trying to sound convincing as he stuttered over his words. The sun pushed through the top of the forest and continued to beat down on them dispite the trees that covered the sky above them. Dyne suddenly tripped over a fallen tree and fell forward smacking his arm off one of the thick trees next to him.  
  
"OWWW!!! SHIT!" Dyne screamed holding his right arm up with his other arm, not letting his gun touch it. "Most of time, like this one, I hate myself for losing my damn left hand to those dumbass Shrinas!"  
  
Aeris quickly picked up her pace and walked over to him and placed her fingers gently around his arm. It had a deep cut in his upper arm and she let go of his arm and placed her hands gently behind her head and pulled her bow from her hair and then moved it under his arm tying it tightly around his wound.  
  
She then quickly moved her hands back to her hair and started to unbraid her hair so it wouldn't become a mess and a small ball fell from behind her and rolled onto the ground. It glew brightly in front of her as it settled gently in the debry.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Dyne asked and Zack stopped and turned to see the small orb that laid safely on the ground.  
  
"I don't know....." Aeris told them shaking her head, while blankly staring at it.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know? It came out of your hair!" Dyne told her as he bent over and picked it off the ground, staring at it curiously.  
  
"I don't know what it is, you know that monster could have put it there when he grabbed my jacket. It could have hacked it up when I was pounding on it or something!" Aeris told him taking it from his hand and stared at it deeply.  
  
"Just leave her be Dyne. We'll have this all sorted out when we get to Rocket Town ok?" Zack asked him narrowing his eyes at him, basically saying that everything was driving his patience especially the heat. "Lets just keep going..."  
  
Aeris nodded quickly not wanting to make him upsetter then he was and unbraided the rest of her hair after placing the orb gently in her red short jacket's chest pocket. She pulled all her long brown hair over her left shouldar, then started to try to make sure it was at least a little straighter then it was.  
  
Dyne watched as Aeris rubbed her hands against her hair trying to pull it straight and then snapped out of it, standing as he shook his head to regain his focus.  
  
"I think we all need to see the doctor..." Zack said as he turned his gaze from them and started walking again. Aeris and Dyne followed close behind as well. Aeris watched in front of her carefully noticing that the end of the forest was right ahead of them. She began to pick up her pace trying hard not to slow down since she really wanted out the forest now. Her hair was getting caught in the bare branches that stuck out at them and she was getting very annoyed as she pushed through. Zack was ahead of them and was slashing at the vines and branches that came near him.  
  
"It's only a few minutes now til we get there now." Zack told them, the heat really driving his patience now it seemed. Dyne turned to Aeris and shook his head at her as she looked away from him.  
  
"Ignore him, he's always like this if he doesn't eat something..." Dyne told her, trying to convince her he wasn't as bad as he seemed at the moment.  
  
Aeris nodded in agreement and pressed on through the forest and finally Zack slashed through the other end of the woods. The bright afternoon sun poured its rays into the opened forest and Dyne shielded his eyes with his bandaged arm.  
  
She took a step out of the woods and stared out across the plains. A gold metal object gleamed off the sun's rays in front of them and Aeris squinted at it to see it better and Zack breathed in a deep sigh of relief.  
  
"Y- YES! There it is!" Zack yelled as he placed her sword quickly on his back and through arms into the air.  
  
"Calm down it's just a city!" Dyne said laughing as he spoke at him. Aeris giggled at them as they laughed at each other happily.  
  
"Last one there is buying lunch!" Zack yelled as he took off towards the city.  
  
"HEY!! That's not fair we're injured!" Dyne yelled as he went after him with Aeris closely following behind.  
  
"Well then one of you two will be buying lunch!" Zack yelled laughing as he continued to run as fast as he could.  
  
Aeris smirked as she passed Dyne and raised her staff in front of her and started to spin it fast.  
  
"If I had the power to heal, who says I don't have the power of other things..." Aeris whispered to herself as she tried to focus her energy to the edge of the spinning staff. It began to glow a bright yellow and she stopped spinning it running through the yellow circle and she flew in extreme speed. Dyne's eyes widen as she sped off and Zack suddenly stopped too to watch her fly by him. Dyne noticed that the yellowish gold ring was starting to fade and quickly jumped through it. He didn't feel any different and shrugged as he took a step forward. He didn't even feel like he moved at all but he was at least a meter away from the ring now. He smirked evilly at Zack as he narrowed his eyes and chuckled to himself.  
  
"Look who's buying lunch now!" Dyne yelled as he sped off passed Zack. Zack's mouth dropped as he hung over wide eyed and rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining their speed.  
  
"Shit! How'd you do that?!" Zack yelled at him as he started off after both of them.  
  
Neither of them heard him as they continued towards the town. Aeris stopped outside the city looking up at the gleaming object that was now looking a bright silver. It was a grand rocket that stood slightly to the side. A villager seemed to ignore her as she walked as slowly as she could into the town looking around for anyone that might resemble a doctor, as he continued to pound nails into the roof of a house he was building. Dyne came up beside her looking just as awed as she was.  
  
"Is this Rocket Town?" Aeris asked almost completely speechless at the sight of the Rocket.  
  
"Sure is," Came a familar voice in front of her. A young man strolled in front of them with his hair a bright blonde, roughly combed. He looked around thirty years old, his blue jean jacket a clean bright blue and he wore a white freshly pressed T-shirt underneath it. His baggy blue jeans look newly bought as well as he stood before them.  
  
"Cid?" Aeris asked her mouth dropped in surprise at him.  
  
"Yup, I'm Captian Cid. How'd you know that? Is the Shrina spreading shit about me wrecking their god damn fucken rocket project again?" He asked rolling his eyes at them.  
  
"Wait is this the same Cid you saw before, Aeris?" Dyne asked as Zack approached them, leaning over to catch his breath. Aeris nodded to Dyne's question slowly and turned to Zack.  
  
"Looks like you're buying lunch Zack." Dyne told him smirking still at him as he turned back towards Cid.  
  
"You kids ok? You look like you need to rest. I don't know who you ar ma'am but you look like you got to close to the LifeStream, come on. I'll take you all to the INN." Cid told them raising an eye brow to Zack who refused to say anything while breathing in deeply.  
  
The same familar smell came from Cid as he pulled a cigerette from his pack that was placed in his blue jean jacket's pocket and lit it pulling it to his lips and puffing it gently.  
  
"This way." He said as he turned and started towards one of the large buildings.  
  
Aeris stared curiously at him. It seemed like him but he was too young to be him it seemed. She followed the others through the door of the INN and Cid came to the counter slapping down a small bag of money in front of him.  
  
"These kids are really bushed it seems, the rooms are on me." He told the manager as he turned away and looked to Aeris.  
  
"Come see me in the morning. You seemed pretty intrested in my rocket, I'll tell you guys about it if you like. I'll be at my home near the rocket, see ya in the morning then." He told them saluting to them with his two right fingers quickly and then set off through the door, closing it softly. Aeris looked to Zack as he stumbled into the nearby room and collasped into the first bed, falling into a deep sleep instantly snoring softly. Dyne covered his mouth as he snickered at his sudden tiredness.  
  
"Now who's the wimp...." Dyne whispered to Aeris as she made her way passed him and sat on the bed next to Zack's giggling softly at him and then looked at Dyne as he walked slowly over to the thrid bed and plopped back against it and closed his eyes.  
  
"I guess we'll be seeing Cid in the morning then?" Dyne asked Aeris as he placed his hands behind his head and fell into a deep sleep as well.  
  
"I guess so...." Aeris said to him as she watched him fall asleep and laid back herself against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Slowly, she closed her eyes as well and fell into a dreamless sleep awaiting the morning to come to get some answers from Cid. 


	13. Stranger in the Dark

Chapter 13: Stranger in the Dark  
  
Aeris quietly shot up from her dreamless sleep and looked calmly around her as she glanced quickly around the room to see that Zack was still lying quietly on his bed. His hand was gently placed over his stomach as she watched it slowly rise and fall in a gentle rhythm. Aeris then silently moved her head to the other side of her to see that Dyne wasn't where he was earlier. Aeris looked up to see that the door was cracked and gently and silently raised herself up and slowly made her way over to the door. She gently placed her hand around the knob and pulled it open slowly, cringing at the sheer screech of the rusted bolts. She turned quickly to see Zack take in a deep breath and then turn to his side and then returned to his normal steady breathing. Aeris took in her own sigh of relief as she slipped through the crack in the door and quickly closed it, so it wouldn't make a sound that time.  
  
As she turned she saw the front thick oak door was gently swung open, knocking itself against the white plastered wall with each coming soft breeze.  
  
She moved quietly over the dark wooden floor towards the opened oak door. She gently wrapped her fingers around the edge of if near the knob and pulled it towards the outside of the house. Slowly moving her hand down its side towards the golden knob, she clutched it lightly, as she closed the door behind her. Aeris's eyes wondered into the deep blue ocean of stars above her that glittered brilliantly around the crescent moon. The rocket before her gleamed gently against the moon's light.  
  
The homes around her seemed to disappear within the sky, with only the outlines of them, remaining. The calm silence was broken by a light continues tapping nearby that startled her. Aeris then turned her gaze to the right towards Cid's home. A dark figure was walking slowly, his footsteps echoing off the white marbled coble streets towards the Rocket.  
  
Aeris gently moved towards him wondering what he was up to but was to afraid to speak up, fearing she might startle him.  
  
She continued to follow the figure back behind Cid's darken home to the Rocket. As she made her way to it, she noticed that the Rocket looked much shinier with the moon's beam, almost brand new.  
  
The startling footsteps suddenly arose again after a brief moment of silence. Carefully, she made her way to the back of the rocket over the black metal stairs that were placed over the large wires.  
  
"Dyne?" Aeris whispered as she stopped in the center of the last steps and looked to the ones leading towards the Rockets entrance doors.  
  
The area remained silent, even the footsteps had ceased. Aeris slowly ducked down, peering through the holes in the gates side as she watched for any sign of movement.  
  
"Dyne?" She whispered again taking swift, quick glances to her sides to watch for anything.  
  
Aeris's weapon was placed silently in the Inn's room beside her bed and she felt helpless without them.  
  
She gently and cautiously began to rise to her knees looking between the bar and the gate that blocked her in as she reached behind her, to grab the other still bar.  
  
All but her breath remained calm. She could hear her own heart beating against her chest furiously in panic, as she stood there unknowing of what to do.  
  
Aeris quietly then raised her left knee up, planting her foot firmly on the metal as she slowly raised herself so that the bar was now leveled with her stomach.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud gunshot and she dropped back, slipping from her grip on the bars in front her of her, and smacked her head hard against the rail behind her. She cringed in pain, clutching her eyes shut as they started to slightly water.  
  
Aeris gently lifted her hand to the side of her head that was still ringing from both the gunshot and the impact with the bar, rubbing it softly to ease the pain.  
  
"Who's there?!" called a voice, somewhat familiar but then again too deep to be recognized. She kept silent through, fearing the man might come and attack her.  
  
"Damn it! I know something's there! Answer me!" It called out again, demanding her attention.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, she slowly placed her hands flat onto the corn iron and painfully pushed herself to her feet. She wobbled and caught the other rail across from her to keep her balance as she stumbled forward. She heard the faint click of a gun lifted her left hand from the bar, and then her right to show that she was unarmed.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked calmingly with a hint of curiosity in his voice.  
  
"My name's Aeris…" she told him slowly stuttering over her words.  
  
"Hey! I thought you were sleeping!" she heard him yell as she watched the figure start to jog up to her.  
  
"She was… and so was I, Dyne…" Aeris heard beside her as she watched as Zack started coming up behind the rocket with his sword over his shoulder.  
  
"Damn Dyne! I think you woke everyone up!" Zack yelled at him. His mako blue eyes lit beautifully with the stars that surrounded his body. Aeris gave a faint smile to him but it quickly faded as his angered expression came into the moon's bright rays.  
  
"Well, she shouldn't have been out here!" Dyne yelled as he swung his gun's barrel to point to Aeris,  
  
"Don't blame her! You ass, you shouldn't have been here to begin with!" Zack called back as he passed the last step and stood stiffly behind her.  
  
"I needed a little air! Is that a crime!?"  
  
"No but blasting that god forsaken gun in the middle of the night is! Everyone's awake now. You'd just better get back to the Inn before they find you because they're all pissed!" Zack warned as he placed his right hand gently on Aeris's shoulder and tugged it back, to take her back to the Inn.  
  
"Fuck this! I'm not leaving!" Dyne suddenly announced making Zack only shrug at him.  
  
"Fine, whatever… Come on, Aeris." Zack said turning away from him, starting to go back to the Inn.  
  
"Fine!" Dyne screamed after him as he turned himself and went off towards the coast.  
  
Sighing deeply Aeris watched as Dyne continued on his own walk and then turned herself and followed Zack back to the Inn, hoping Dyne would fell better later that day. 


	14. Mako Poisoning Rerisen

Chapter 14: Mako Poisoning Rerisen.  
  
  
  
Slowly, Zack made his way back over the stone paths with the light from each of the homes starting to dim as he walked passed each one.  
  
"Stupid stubborn bastard…" Zack mumbled to himself as he crossed his arms to warm himself as the gentle breezes washed over his muscular body.  
  
"Don't be hard on him… please its just he hasn't had any sleep yet…" Aeris whispered to him.  
  
"I don't care, he's still an ass… Always has been…" Zack told her sighing deeply, making his gaze fall to the ground beneath him.  
  
"You just need rest, and so does he. Cid will help you too! I know he will. Things will be like they were again when I first met you and him." She told him as she raised her eyes to his face but seeing him in rage, caused her to turn her gaze back to the ground as she walked beside him.  
  
"Well you know, he was a stubborn ass then too. You probably didn't notice then though because you were out cold it seemed."  
  
"No… I just couldn't move, I heard your fights and your simple arguments…but it seems as though I've known you forever… but then again I don't know…" She told him and Zack suddenly lifted his head, his eyes lit up in shock as he began to frantically look around him, at every home near by. The ringing in Aeris's head began again but violently and too painful to bear. She suddenly dropped to her knees reaching out to Zack slightly moving her head down his arm before it dropped and she collapsed onto the ground.  
  
Zack, in a panic, dived down and caught her in his out stretched arms before she hit the ground and then lifted her up starting to rush around to a building, which she couldn't make out.  
  
Her eyes began to sting and a cool liquid that she knew weren't her tears began to stream down the corner of her eyes. Zack lifted his right hand from under her slightly and began to pound hard against the door as she clutched her eyes shut from the pain.  
  
"Open the door! Fucken open the door!" Zack screamed as he continued to beat against it furiously.  
  
"Who's there!? I'm armed!" called a man from inside the door as he swiftly made his way towards it.  
  
"Open up, damn it! A woman has been exposed to mako!" Zack called to him ignoring the man's warning.  
  
She could hear someone sudden stir and run towards the door, his footsteps thudding against the floor as he hurried himself.  
  
The oak door quickly swung back and Aeris gently opened her eyes shuttering, opening her mouth as if to speak but nothing came from her shaking lips. She could faintly see the man's horrified expression as he looked down upon her shuttering body.  
  
"Get her in here now." Was all he could say to Zack and he nodded swiftly, pushing his way in passed the man.  
  
Aeris could feel herself being laid on a cold table after someone had knocked everything from the top of it to the floor, letting it all slam into the hard coble floor. She shuttered slightly as an icy hand was pushed over her face, whipping from it the mako.  
  
"How long has she been like this?" The man asked Zack taking a soft warm wet towel to her face and washing from it what remained of the exposed poisoning.  
  
"Since this afternoon," Zack told him as he made his way to the other side of her and clasped his hand gently around hers.  
  
"Did this happen before to her?"  
  
"No, I don't think she was in mako before this."  
  
"No! I mean did this come from her eyes before?!"  
  
"Oh! Yeah, awhile back, she said she got confused and started crying about this, it seemed she went crazy for a second then."  
  
"Fuck, then it might be to late now!" the doctor yelled as he pulled back her bangs to the side of her face and put a white folded cloth over her forehead, pressing it down slightly.  
  
"What do you mean it's too late?! She's still here!" Zack yelled, his hand clutching tighter around hers as it started to shake.  
  
"No one knows how to rid a patient of Mako, just how to control it, but if it's in the body to long it'll settle and spread throughout the inside and cause the person to go mad even!" He yelled as he walked out of the room quickly and came back within seconds, carrying a long shot needle in his right hand.  
  
"Hold her still…" He commanded Zack as he pulled back her red jacket to the sides.  
  
"What is that?!" Zack asked refusing to let go of her.  
  
"Something that might help if you do as I say!" the doctor yelled and Zack slowly released her hand from his grip and placed them gently on her shoulders holding down her shaking body.  
  
Aeris cringed as the man jabbed in the needle's end slowly beginning to calm down once he pulled it from her thin pale skin.  
  
Gently, Zack unclenched his fingers and looked down on her concerningly as he pulled his hands from her.  
  
"Now, she will need rest. I saw you earlier with another man, I suggest you go and inform him ab-,"  
  
"NO! I'm not leaving her for that bitch! He's probably the reason why this is happening!" Zack said as he sent his fist back into the wall leaving a deep angry imprint in it.  
  
"Alright, alright. You do as you choose, but she needs rest, and I suggest you go and receive some yourself…" He told him as he slowly turned and went back into the other room taking in a deep breath as he went.  
  
Zack returned his gaze to Aeris again, her own breath now steady as she opened her eyes slightly to him, only to have them shut again by his soft gentle warm right hand.  
  
"You shouldn't have gotten up to look for that bitch…" He started to say letting his hand drop from her cheek after he gently cuffed it in his hand.  
  
She parted her lips for a moment to speak to him, to tell him it wasn't his fault, that it was going to be alright, but they were pushed back together from her weakness. Aeris could feel him lean close to her.  
  
Slowly, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers softly, holding to her shoulders as he did so. Aeris, despite her weakness, forced herself to press back against his mouth to return the kiss he had given her. He then pulled back from her and sat next to her wrapping her coat back over her chest and smiled slightly at her.  
  
"Tomorrow, you will be better." He started as he twirled one of her buttons between his two fingers and gripped her hand in his other, that he slowly moved to his lips as he whispered to her, "I promise…" then lightly kissed it and placed it over her stomach as she peacefully fell into a deep calming sleep. 


	15. The Return of the Weapon

Chapter 15: The Return of the Weapon  
  
"Aeris? Come on now…" A soft voice whispered to her as a gently hand rested itself on her shoulder to rouse her. She slowly opened her eyes to see the doctor, now in his daily clothes and Zack who held his hand to her and lifted it to let her sit up. The doctor looked strangely at her and a young woman made her way over to him smiling at her as she sat up.  
  
"Oh, you're awake! Wonderful!" She said cheerfully to her as she smiled brightly at her and then looked to Zack.  
  
"He was very worried for you. He refused to eat a bite until you awoke." The woman explained and Zack smiled slightly at her, his cheeks starting to burn a rosy pink.  
  
"Uh yeah…" He said quickly as he patted the man behind the back and turned away looking around towards everything but Aeris.  
  
"This is ummm… Hojo. He's a great doctor. Gots lots of potions and such back there. He seems to enjoy experimenting." Zack said to her as he finally relaxed himself and turned his gaze to her.  
  
Hojo seemed to be a gentle man, dark black hair covered his head and hung down his back in a ponytail, that was neatly combed with place blue thin lens that were wired with a thick black metal. He stood tall next to Zack and the woman and wore a white coat that flowed to the floor. His pale white skin showed how long he had been pulled from the sun as the light gleamed over him, making him seem as white as a ghost. His hands were locked behind his back as he stood silently and looked to the woman beside him and gave her a faint smile.  
  
"This is my wife, Lucreia." He said and the woman blushed slightly as well and smiled as she looked to him. "She's my assistant as well and helped create the mixture I injected in you." He explained and she nodded quickly to him. She had long brown flowing hair, only a little shorter then her own. Her bright blue eyes lit up happily. She was tall as well, only a few inches shorter then Hojo was.  
  
She was thin but looked to be pregnant, but only a few months into it, she believed.  
  
Zack came up behind Aeris and slid his left hand under her knees, lifting her slightly up and then placed her right arm around his neck and wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her from the bed completely. She remembered though that she had been placed on a cold table before and spotted it near the door, lying on the ground, as if something knocked it over with a deep imprint of a fist above it.  
  
She looked to Zack and then to the others and smiled gently to them.  
  
"Thank you for your kindness…" She whispered and Lucrecia smiled warmly to her as she spoke.  
  
"You're quite welcome, it was our pleasure to help," She said to her and then turned into the next room where a small bag lied on the carpeted floor.  
  
"We're moving to Niblehiem in the next few days, we're hoping our baby will be born there." He told them with a smile spread a crossed his face as if he couldn't control his excitement.  
  
"That's wonderful, Dr. Hojo." Zack told him as he started to take a few steps backwards towards the door.  
  
Aeris nodded in agreement to Zack as she watched him go off and laid her head against his chest, listening to his steady breathing.  
  
"We'd better go, Captain Cid would like a word with us." Zack explained quickly and sudden footsteps came from the back room.  
  
"Wait! Wait!" cried Lucrecia as she turned a corner with a large deep blue velvet blanket in her arms that was neatly folded. She came up to Aeris and laid it gently down on her stomach smiling to them as she clasped her hands together and took a few steps back.  
  
"It gets cold up here, you'd both be better off with this if you're planning to leave, and Nibel Mountain is very treacherous. Maybe Cid will be willing to grant you both a ride in his newly developed plane. He will be taking us in it soon, he might as well take you too." Lucrecia told them and Aeris gave her a bright smile.  
  
"Alright… thank you miss…" Aeris said to her slowly, watching Lucrecia's expression slowly start to dim, as Hojo neared her, and Zack turned away. She then suddenly turned around with her head lowered as if in depression as Zack opened the door gently, and through the last faint crack from the closing of the door, Hojo's expression, changed as well. A cold face suddenly emerged as he followed after Lucrecia and Aeris wondered what was the matter between them.  
  
She turned her head up to see that Zack had noticed something as well, carefully standing still for a moment as if he was listening in, but everything remained silent.  
  
"Hmmm… was it just me or did just a second ago, Lucrecia and Hojo suddenly change?"  
  
"I don't understand it either… but I hope they're alright…" She told Zack, concern rising in her voice. "I can walk you know" Aeris told him slightly giggling to herself and he turned his face down to her smiling warmly.  
  
"I know," he started as he began towards Cid's house. "But I think it'll be better this way then you won't have a problem with falling again." He finished, looking towards Cid's house now.  
  
"Where's Dyne?" Aeris calmly asked him looking slowly around the area.  
  
"Psh… who cares. It's been a lot better without him so far…" Zack said coldly as he chuckled in his voice and then dropped his hand from under her knees, letting them fall gently to the ground.  
  
"There ya go…" Zack said as he held his arm around her waist still and then placed his hand behind his back.  
  
"Almost forgot… you left this at the Inn." He said as he pulled from behind him her large staff that gleamed brightly against the morning sun's rays. The sky was clear, and beautiful to her as she watched several gulls glide across it towards its gentle horizon.  
  
Aeris held the blanket under her arm almost dropping it and Zack reached over and caught it with his free hand as it started to unravel.  
  
"Here, I'll jeep it in here," he said as he took it from her grasp and placed it in a chocolate brown bag that hung slightly down his side. He then raised his hand and knocked softly against the dark brown oak door, calmly awaiting a response.  
  
"Yeah?! Who the hell is it?" Came Cid's voice as he started to get up and go towards the other side of the door,  
  
"It's us, you told us to come see you, remember?" Zack yelled over Cid's footsteps as they slowly made their way over the creaking floorboards, closer to them.  
  
"Oh you guys! Shelia! Visitors!" Cid called as he twisted the doorknob quickly and swing open the door to reveal a beautiful furnished home.  
  
The kitchen rested to their left, with crystal china, and white marbled counters that had glass door cabinets above them. The floor had been polished recently it seemed because of it's glittering shine with three ceiling lights that reflected off it, with small diamond cut crystals that dangled around each one. A small glass round table sat in the center of the three lights, with four neatly polished pinewood chairs around it.  
  
An oak banister that came up to her waist separated the kitchen from the living room to their right. Two windows were draped to the sides with sky blue curtains that matched the wallpaper. Two couches facing each other lay silently on the large oval rainbow colored rug that lay on the oak floorboards. Three shallow stairs were visible in an opening on the short wall that lead down to the living room and were directly a crossed from a brick fireplace.  
  
"Like it?" Cid asked noticing they were both in awe at his home's decorations.  
  
"Yes, very much so…" Aeris told him smiling amazed at how well put together his home was as she spoke.  
  
"Yeah, it's a beauty. Now go on. Shit your ass down and relax. SHELIA!" He screamed as he turned away facing a nearby door. Soft shuffling of footsteps gently arose as a young woman appeared in the doorway, looking almost exactly like Lucrecia, only with slightly shorter flowing brown hair and deep brown eyes to match.  
  
"Yes Cid?" She asked, hardly above a whisper in her tone of voice.  
  
"Get these two… Wait, what happened to your other friend?" Cid suddenly asked turning to them in confusion.  
  
"He's around." Zack quickly answered looking to hope that they wouldn't continue to question him about Dyne.  
  
Cid shrugged to them smirking slightly to them and then turned back to Shelia.  
  
"Alright, Shelia! Don't just stand there like a dead horse! Get them some god damn tea and make it quick woman!" He commanded as he made his way to his dining room table and sat down calmly in the pulled out chair.  
  
Zack looked to Aeris for a quick moment and shrugged to her looking a bit confused and walked slowly over to the next chair over from Cid, closely followed by Aeris.  
  
Zack slowly removed another chair from under the table and Aeris did the same sitting close to him. Shelia walked over and gentle picked her glasses from the counter and put them on as she continued towards the stove.  
  
She fumbled a bit with the knob in the front and a couple of clicks could be heard before a soft flame arose from the surface. She placed her sliver teapot over the stove slowly and then reached above her into the shelves of the cabinet, pulling from them delicate pieces of China from them, placing them on the side before turning and going out the back door.  
  
"She seems very kind. Is she your wife?" Aeris asked after the moment of silence.  
  
"Wife? WIFE?!" Cid yelled before exploding into a roar of laughter so fierce that tears poured down his cheeks. He began to take in deep breaths as he began to calm himself down and then looked to Aeris shaking his head with a smile spread a crossed his face.  
  
"Whoo! No fucken way is she my wife! She's dedicated her life to mine though, well what's left of it anyway. She's destroyed half of it already!" Cid announced turning his head to the window that lead out to the golden Rocket.  
  
"Bout a month ago she tried to save me… the bitch was about to get herself friend because she was in the engine room checking the oxygen tanks even though I told her that they were just fine! But…" He started, stopping as he took in a deep breath.  
  
"But what?" Zack asked curiously.  
  
"But, I stopped the lift off and nearly got us both killed because the rocket tipped and nearly fell on the ground. We both would have become pancakes then, but my dream was to go out into outer space. She thinks she took it from me so she's been giving her life for me now to try and make it up." Cid finished as a sudden scream sounded off. At first he turned to the teapot but it wasn't going off.  
  
His eyes quickly grew large in surprise as he through his chair back and charged out his back door followed closely behind by Zack and Aeris.  
  
"SHELIA!" He screamed as he pushed open the door to see her lying back against the wall breathing hard with blood streaming down the side of her face.  
  
"Shelia! Speak up damn you!" He yelled as he took his jacket off and wrapped it tightly around her head as she laid back with her eyes large in shock.  
  
A large shadow suddenly casted over them and a deep roar shook the land. Aeris looked up taking a few steps back as the weapon came into perfect view, hurtling trees towards them that got in its way.  
  
"SHIT!" Zack screamed as he watched it kicked another one towards them. He jumped Aeris pushing her down as the tree skidded inches over them and slammed into the house.  
  
"MOTHER FUCKER! MY HOUSE!" Cid called out as he narrowed his eyes and gripped a spear next to his house that looked to be recently sharpened. He started towards it taking a ball from its side and through it forwards. It suddenly exploded into a dense fireball that hovered in the air above their heads.  
  
"FIRE3!" He screamed snapping his arm forward as if to throw it towards the Weapon and the fireball shot off towards the weapon exploding in its face.  
  
It roared in pain as it moved it's thick arms up to its eyes scratching what remained.  
  
"Damn it!" He yelled as he took a few steps back and then turned to Shelia scooping her up as Zack jumped to his feet, pulling Aeris to hers quickly.  
  
"We don't have a choice! We got to get out of here!" Cid yelled as he blasted through his broken door, the teapot inside going off, partly smashed from the impact of the tree. Zack grabbed Aeris's hand following after them. Cid kicked down the front door shooting off down the coble streets with the other town's people that were screaming as it leaned over and swiped its hand across the tops of homes tearing them as if they were pieces of paper and tossing them towards everyone else.  
  
Aeris could spot Lucrecia and Hojo running as well with Lucrecia in Hojo's arms and her holding several bags as they ran and moved in closer towards them.  
  
"CID! We have to get to Nibleheim!" Hojo yelled over the constant roars that filled the area.  
  
"I HAVE MY OWN PROBLEMS!" Cid yelled nearly tripping over the scattered branches that littered the once clean roads.  
  
"I can see that! But if you take us we might be able to stop this thing!" He yelled back and Cid continued off and then suddenly took a sharp turn back towards the rocket. He motioned his head to Aeris and Zack as well to get them to follow him as he continued back towards it. Zack skidded to stop right then and there catching Aeris and scooping her up as she slammed her staff into the ground to get herself to stop and then took off after Cid.  
  
A small pinkest plane rested on the ground near the side of the rocket as they ran off towards it. Zack was running on the right side of Cid near the homes when suddenly one exploded out from the side with the weapon's arm twitching in it as it swiped it forwards inches from Zack's legs as it crashed through all the homes, striking the side of the rocket, causing it to tip forwards towards them.  
  
"NO! NOT MY ROCKET!" Cid screamed as he swiftly curved to the side looking sicken as it came crashing down into the dry ground. The impact was too much and they all stumbled, smacking into the side letting the splintered wood and glass come flying down on and around them.  
  
The Weapon cried throwing it's head back as it tipped itself as the ground knocked it off balance slightly as well. Aeris's arms where pouring blood from the sides as she felt the sharp shards of glass rip at them when she covered the back of her head with them, trying to ignore the pain that was pushed into her face. As she felt the last remaining piece of glass fall over her she slowly pushed herself up looking to the weapon and growled deeply at her as she looked to see that Hojo, Lucrecia, Cid, and Shelia laid sprawled silently in pain across the ground. Aeris slowly looked to her other side jolting back as she moved her hands slightly and hit the shattered pieces of broken glass that remained around her and dropped from her hair as she moved it. Zack lay silently before her looking as if he had passed out from the impact of the weapon's massage fury.  
  
She recoiled in pain as she pushed herself to her knees and finally upright angrily facing the weapon that only glared back at her as if ready to attack and destroy her any moment. Zack suddenly twitched his arm and it brought her attention to him breaking the gaze with the monster and it roared back in anger as it slammed it's hand down towards Zack. Aeris made a quick decision in her mind and dived at Zack rolling him out of the way and was struck in the side of the head when she herself tried to dodge it and clutched her eyes shut in the unbearable pain that engulfed her body.  
  
Zack slowly pushed off the ground and looked to Aeris's shaking body and his face grew mad with anger as he pushed off to his feet and pulled his thick sword from his back despite his own broken and scared up body and brought it down towards the Weapon's hand before it could lift it and brought the sword over his head and suddenly brought it down to the side furiously severing through it's arm.  
  
The Weapon screeched in horrible pain as Zack kneeled down with his sword in front of him, blood dripping from its edge. It through itself backs, its hand still a bloody mess that still remained in the ground. As it pulled back its hand slowly began to tilt over and fell to the ground with a sickening thud, letting blood splatter in front of them. Hojo sat straight up as the weapon screamed out in pain grabbing his ears and then turned to see that everyone else was doing the same, but Aeris remained still on the ground on the other side of the bloody limb. After taking in one deep breath he charged and jumped over the limb and as he landed her charged off after Aeris. The others seemed to be examining their wounds and then turned their attention to the gruesome sight of the Weapon as the blood began to spill from the split arm around them. Cid gently stood and retrieved his spear and then reached to Shelia as she pushed herself up jolting back from the shards.  
  
Zack bent over Aeris's body when he finally became close enough and slid his hands under her, cradling her gently in his arms as he started off towards Cid and the others as they all began to get up to their feet and head after Cid towards the plane that looked to be undamaged.  
  
"Aeris wake up!" Zack said looking down at her as he ran, shaking her gently to arouse her, but she didn't move, but her steady breathing assured him that she would be all right for a while. The plane became perfectly into view now. The slight pinkest outside seemed to be nothing when compared to the lower silver half that glittered slightly with the sun. When Cid finally reached it, he gently placed Shelia on the ground and hurled up a large latter that hooked over the edge.  
  
"Come on! Get up!" Cid commanded as he slowly bent over and softly shook Shelia to awaken her. "Hurry you have to get up." He told her as he turned his gaze to Zack. "Wake her!" he commanded.  
  
"I can't! She's out cold!" Zack yelled as he looked down to her cracked skull and placed it gently against his chest.  
  
"Well then how the hell are you gonna get on?!" Cid demanded to know as Hojo followed up after Lucre CIA, who was being pulled up by Shelia at the top.  
  
"I'll show you…" Zack said as he slightly raised his arms up, letting his hands unclenched from Aeris's side and then slowly made his way up trying not to let her slip from his arms. Cid was following behind, watching as Aeris's feet dangled over Zack's one arm as they finally made it over. Cid swung his legs as he reached the last step and charged down the nearby stairs as the others sat on the flat deck.  
  
"Hold to something and quick!" He said as he through his hand down on the lever and then swiftly yanked it back letting the engines explode behind him as he shot the plane off away from the weapon that was now destroying everything that was left in the town. Lucrecia and Hojo looked back over the railing as the weapon knocked over the last remaining homes cringing in pain from the glass that was lodged in them and then looked to Zack as he pulled the blanket that they had given him earlier and rolled it out gentle, laying it a crossed Aeris's stiff body that remained in his arms and took the small water container from his side, along with a white cloth and gently poured the water over it, and began to softly wipe it a crossed her forward, removing the shards of glass and the dry blood, hoping they would reach Nibelheim soon. 


	16. Love and Disaster

Chapter 16: Love and Disaster  
  
Zack laid himself back against the side of the rail looking up as the sky slowly turned from the afternoon into night. Aeris was resting silently and Lucrecia was resting herself on Hojo's shoulder. Shelia was sitting next to Cid as he piloted the ship tiredly nearly dropping to the side each time that he leaned forward. Shelia begged him to let her take the wheel but each time he refused, saying she'd kill them all with the slightest touch to his controls.  
  
Aeris soon began to stir and turned gently against him placing her hand against his chest. He smiled gently to her as he pulled the blanket around her and pushed her bangs from her face, sliding the back of his warm hand down her soft cheek as he did so. "Zack?" Aeris suddenly began to whisper with her eyes still shut as if in a deep sleep.  
  
"You awake?" He asked her quietly as he sat there, as still as he could, in case she wasn't awake yet.  
  
"Mmmm hmmmm…" She told him as she reached to her side and grabs his hand within hers and smiled gently as she opened her eyes slightly to him.  
  
"Where's everyone?" She asked as she looked up at him and pulled her arm from the blanket and quickly placed back in because of the cold breeze that rushed over her.  
  
"They're over there, sleeping, like you should be." Zack told her as leaned against his chest and looked up at him for a brief moment and then sat up.  
  
"No, I'm fine." She told him quickly as she pulled the blanket from under her and wrapped it around his shoulders.  
  
He laughed at her for minute and then slid his arms around her waist holding her to him and she raised her hands to his shoulders softly, coiling them around his neck as he gently leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers passionately clutching his hands around her waist as she tilted her head to the side slightly and held to his neck tightly returning his kiss with the same amount of passion.  
  
She kept her eyes gently shut as he held her to him pulling back from her slightly to take in short breathes, as the soft evening breeze passed over them.  
  
"Heh! Well look at that!" Cid yelled and Aeris broke from Zack's lips to face him.  
  
Cid was looking to back at them chuckling to them as she looked to him. Zack kept hold of her waist as he smirked at Cid, though.  
  
"Ignore him…" Zack told Aeris as he gently lifted his hand under her chin to turn her gaze to him.  
  
Aeris smiled gently as she leaned towards him and parted her lips slightly as she pressed them over his again, as he wrapped his arm tightly around her again, nearly dropping the blanket from his shoulders.  
  
"Zack?" Aeris whispered to him as she pulled back for a moment.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked leaning back towards her again.  
  
"I…I love you…" She whispered as she held around his neck running her fingers through his hair softly as she stared into his deep blue eyes.  
  
"I love you too…" He told her as he started to lay back against the rail, nearly flat on his back with her over him.  
  
"Oh no you two don't!" Cid yelled as he finally surrendered the controls to Shelia, and got to his feet running towards them.  
  
He grabbed the back of Aeris's jacket and pulled her up from him as Zack started to loosen his grip around her so he couldn't hurt her.  
  
"No way were you two gonna do this on MY ship!" He yelled, chuckling as he spoke.  
  
"You're going to wait until we get to Nibleheim!" He commanded as he let her go; only to have her dropped on the cold hard steel deck.  
  
Zack took in a deep sigh as he pushed himself up and rolled his eyes at Cid.  
  
"We were just going to go to sleep…" Zack told him reaching out his hand grabbing Aeris's and then pulled her back to his side, curling his arm over her head and then around her waist.  
  
"Yeah…sleep, my ass…" Cid said sarcastically to them as he stood above them, slightly laughing to himself still.  
  
He soon turned away shrugging at them with his hands leveled with his neck as he walked back.  
  
Aeris smiled to him as he stood behind Shelia, instructing her quickly of which level to pull down and which way to steer.  
  
Zack didn't loosen his grip from her as he leaned over her placing his head gently over hers as she laid hers softly on his shoulder.  
  
He took her hand in his as she moved it to the side, as she started to fall into a deep sleep in his warmth. He started to drift off as well wishing they would get to Nibleheim sooner so he could talk with her without everyone around.  
  
Slowly he moved his face towards a set of lights below him that were supposedly from Nibleheim. He smiled happily and felt Aeris's soft heart beat against his own as she turned her body slightly to lay her head down gently against his chest, her large braided hair flowing over her shoulder as she moved, with the loose strands swaying with the smooth breeze.  
  
"We're gonna land guys so grab a hold to something! Not each other!" Cid said, emphasizing the last line to Zack and Aeris as he looked to them quickly.  
  
Lucrecia slowly began to lift herself from Hojo's grasp and yawned slightly, gripping the bar behind her and looked over to Zack smiling to him and then looked to Hojo, shaking him softly awake.  
  
Zack refused to arouse Aeris from her dreamless sleep, so instead he just kept his arm tightly locked around her slender form as Cid began to descend into a slight dive.  
  
The wind began to pick up making Aeris shutter from the cold and Zack grabbed the blanket behind him and wrapped it around her shoulders, tucking it in under her legs so it wouldn't fly back as they neared the ground.  
  
Shelia was clutching to the back of Cid's seat trying to ready herself for an impact with her nails digging into the soft leather cushion.  
  
Aeris began to awaken as the ship began to rattle and Zack held to her waist tighter nearly suffocating her, as his grip on the bar tightened as if to bend it. She could feel herself start to slip as he moved his legs slightly over to keep his own grip steadier.  
  
"Damn, she's getting unstable!" Cid yelled as he started to try and pull back up slightly only causing the shaking to get much more violent.  
  
"Shit!" Everybody up! We're gonna crash!" He yelled as he kicked at the controls several times trying to fix them.  
  
Zack turned to see that Aeris was wide awake in a deep panic and he moved his feet completely over so that they would keep him stable enough to hold Aeris as she put her arms around his neck and placed her hands gently to the back of his head to shield him from the incoming impact and he smiled to her to calm her even though they both knew the ship would crash.  
  
The ship began to skid across the treetops and Lucrecia screamed as a branch broke off and ripped across her forehead. Hojo quickly pulled his coat off quickly and wrapped it around her forehead and held her down out of reach from the trees as it lowered into them and then slammed into the ground hard, still pushing itself forward, making the steel bottom screech and tear into tiny shards of metal.  
  
Zack grabbed the back of Aeris's head and pushed it against his chest quickly as he fell back to avoid a small rock that rebounded off the side of the ship's hull and hurtled towards them.  
  
Shelia ducked, herself, pulling her hands to the back of her own head as she crouched down behind Cid's chair.  
  
"Get down!" he screamed as he jumped from his chair to the floor wrapping himself over Shelia's body, acting as a shield and the ship suddenly stuck into a solid iron shelter throwing them forward into the front were Shelia and Cid rested.  
  
Zack held to Aeris as he was flung forward and his back crashed into the front dashboard.  
  
He groaned in pain and clutched his eyes shut as they began to water from the impact's damage on him, waiting for the aching to dissolve.  
  
Aeris shuttered violently in tears as she felt Zack's arm loosen from her waist. Lucrecia was nearby; she could tell by her steady frighten breathing that began to gain rapid speeds and then slowed dramatically.  
  
Cid groaned as he raised himself from Shelia, and she lifted herself back up, her knees were too weak to hold her, that she feel back against the, now, broken dashboard.  
  
Awwww… damn it… my second ship… destroyed… AHHH!" Cid screamed as he leaped over the railing to the ground that was only a foot from it. Angrily he kicked the ship's hull furiously, hurting himself in the process.  
  
"Nilbeheim's over there, Cid. You can probably get it fixed over there you know." Hojo said as he stood up painfully and pointed towards the small village that rested to the right of them.  
  
"Fine then, Sheila! Come on! You guys should get to a doctor for now." He said as she started off towards the town looking back to them quickly to make sure they each could stand and were stable enough to walk.  
  
Zack took in a deep sigh as he stood up, and looked to Aeris who was more in shock then in pain.  
  
"You ok?" He asked gently as he leaned over slightly and gripped her waist, helping her to her feet.  
  
"Wow… I haven't had that much excitement since a couple days ago." Aeris suddenly said as she turned and smiled to him.  
  
He chuckled at her remark, wiping the sweat from his forehead and then reach out, pulling her too him in a tight hug. He pulled his head back from over her shoulder and kissed her lovingly on her soft left cheek, as he swayed her gently in his arms.  
  
"We'll be going now…" Hojo told them, looking to them quickly, not wanting to interrupt them.  
  
Aeris smiled to them over Zack's shoulder and nodded as they both climbed over the rail and calmly walked off looking a bit hurt still.  
  
Zack held to her for a few more minutes before he finally released her from his grasp and turned to her, leaning towards her, whispering, "Lets go before it gets too cold. There's an Inn at Niblehem's entrance I've been to…" He told her softly as he grabbed the rail and hopped over, then raised his arms up and grabbed hers. He flung her down from the busted ship despite his pain and then started off towards Nibleheim with her in his arms, pushing his lips against her's gently as he continued towards the small town. 


	17. Star Crossed Lovers

Chapter 17: Star Crossed Lovers  
  
Zack slowly had moved his hand from her waist to her own hand, interlocking his fingers around hers after he placed her gently on her feet to let her walk. Aeris felt that nothing would ever be the same between her and Zack because of their love for each other now, and deeply feared for Dyne's return to them now.  
  
"Damn she's pretty." She had recalled him saying as he hovered over her broken body when she first met them. She remembered their constant fights and bickering at each other. Aeris could even remember the one night before she disappeared and found Cloud. He way he glared at Zack angrily when he first attempted to kiss her and was stopped by Dyne. She shuttered at the thought of what would happen when he returned and Zack felt it.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked looking down at her in concern.  
  
"Nothing…" She told him looking to the ground and then back up at him.  
  
"Nothing huh? Sounds like something's wrong." He told her as he returned his arm around her slender form.  
  
"It's Dyne…" She suddenly told him losing her gaze to him again and he took in a deep sigh without turning away from her.  
  
"Don't worry, he's not coming back. Watch I bet you the next time you see him, he'll be running around looking for his old friend to avenge his family that the Shrina killed." He told her trying to convince her to cheer up as they passed under the small opening to the town's entrance and walked along the tan coble path to the Inn.  
  
"Yeah… probably…" She told him as she looked up to meet his gaze and smiled to him.  
  
"Well we're here." He told her smiling back as he turned away and reached for the handle, twisting it gently. It swung open silently and a man was standing in front of them, behind a nearby counter. He smiled to them as he finished up polishing his glasses and cracked his knuckles quickly.  
  
"Hello, can I help you?" He asked softly as Zack reached into his chocolate brown bag and pulled out a small sack and through it on the counter.  
  
"Have a room?" Zack asked as the sack hit and opened to the side as it tilted. Several small gold coins spilled from the mouth of the bag and scattered across the front of the counter, glittering brilliantly with the ceiling lamp that hung gently above them, lighting up the small area.  
  
The man smiled as he looked down at the money, his eyes gleaming with joy.  
  
"Of coarse! Right this way!" He said as he cheerfully walked out from the side of the counter and passed in front of them towards a set of swallow stairs nearby. Aeris and Zack followed closely behind the man up the narrow stair well as they made their way up it.  
  
"Here you are." He told Zack as he walked into a room nearby to reveal a delicate warm area. Aeris smiled as she walked into it and Zack tossed the man another coin and smiled to him in gratitude. The man nodded and then turned away happily as he trotted downstairs and left Zack with her.  
  
"You like?" He asked her as he closed the door softly and came up behind her, with his arms gently wrapped around her waist, with his hands softly rested on her stomach.  
  
"Yeah, it's beautiful…" She told him as she admired the decorations and then noticed something strange and started to giggle.  
  
"What? What's so funny?" Zack asked starting smiling as well as he looked around the room to see what she thought was so funny.  
  
"There's only one bed." She told him turning to him smiling and he shrugged. Suddenly he lifted her up, and gently laid her back against the soft red covers on the front side of the bed, looking down at her smiling.  
  
"Oh well, guess we'll get through this." Zack told her as he slowly leaned forward and pressed himself against her lips, kissing her passionately while holding to her shoulders.  
  
Aeris pushed her lips back up against his as she raised her arms slightly around his neck. Zack began to pull his hands back from her and pulled the leather gloves gently from them and tossed them to the side, as he pushed Aeris back towards the back of the bed holding her to him still.  
  
Gently, she lowered her hands from his neck and them glide down his shoulders where the deep brown suspenders to his uniform rested and she gently slid them down the sides of his arms as she creased her fingers along each muscle that rested under his skin. Slowly Zack pulled back her jacket, picking her up softly and placing her arms behind her as it slid off quickly, as he lifted his purpled lined sweater over his head swiftly and dropped it off over the edge and then dropped her back down pressing his lips against hers more fiercely now.  
  
Aeris now slid her hands down his smooth hard chest to his belt, sliding it from its latch and then quickly tugged it off from around him.  
  
Zack worked his hands down to the center of her chest and twisted the buttons carefully to her dress so they easily fell through the small slits so that the dress parted from her chest to reveal her tan thin bra that rested against her chest. Zack slipped his hands behind her soft pale skinned back and gripped the clasp tightly as he broke it off.  
  
He let the ends dangle softly under her as he lifted her slightly and slowly pulled it towards him over her shoulders and then wrapped his arms tightly around her as it dropped off, pushing his chest against hers roughly as he separated from her lips to catch his breath and for her bring back her own.  
  
Aeris let her fingers explore his tight hard body, while he discovered her own, gliding his hands to her sides, down to her hips and then raising them back to her chest gently pushing his thumbs against it.  
  
Carefully, She skimmed the seam of his baggy jeans with her thumbs and pushed them back slowly to his thighs, passed his knees and completely took them from him. Zack reached under Aeris quickly and pulled the unbuttoned dress from beneath her and through it back to the edge.  
  
She lifted her hands from him and raised her hands to hair, untying the thick bow that pushed against her skull and ached her so much with each thrust of Zack's undying kisses against her, pushing her back hard.  
  
A bright pale green marble sized ball rolled from her hair onto the floor and rested on Zack's sweater when she released the bow and her long braided hair began to unravel behind her head.  
  
Zack gently rolled back his soft hands to her hips again and twirled his fingers around the sides of her panties as he lowered his head down the side of her neck and kissed it lovingly, continuously. Aeris held hands around neck running her fingers through his thick black hair as she closed her eyes, savoring each touch he made around her. He was being so gentle towards her and it surprised her that she wasn't screaming in pain by then.  
  
He slowly pulled her panties down her thighs and quickly off as he raised his right hand to her neck and gripped the small string that was part of the rope around her neck and pulled it gently, letting the whole thing come undone, letting it slip from her neck, to the side. He looked to her as she reopened her eyes and smiled down at her with his eyes half shut as he gazed into her emerald loving eyes and dipped his head down and cupped her luscious rosy pink wet lips with his, holding to her long fully to him as he clutched her shoulders tightly.  
  
"Zack…" She whispered as he pushed his body against hers starting to kiss her neck and move down her chest slowly with his hands. Zack could only smile at her as she laid still and he loosened his grip on her, thinking it might be hurting her.  
  
Rather quickly, Aeris took in several deep breaths as his fingers rolled over her chest and down her flat stomach softly. She gently grasped her own hands around his short boxers and dragged them off him. Now, she could feel his whole body and she closed her eyes tightly as he wrapped his hands around her back and forced himself into her rather quickly.  
  
Her breath began pick up speed gripping his back with her fingers digging into his flesh. He softly moaned as he laid her back down and gripped the covers tightly pushing himself hard against her slender form. Aeris felt she couldn't hold back anymore from all his attempts to make her feel good and screamed as he pushed himself against her again. As she laid back breathing in rapidly gripping his back tightly beginning to scratch it up he looked to her smiling and place a finger to her lips to quiet her.  
  
"Sshhhh… We'll wake the neighbors…" He told her breathlessly laughing slightly to her and she smiled back to him softly and the reached up with her arms locked around his neck and pulled him back against her. She kissed his soft lips slipping her tongue between them as they parted and he did the same pressing her to him not wanting to let go.  
  
Her warm soft body against his was all he had ever wanted from the moment he saw her and he had held back for so long and now he wanted to give her everything he had, but he feared it might not be enough for her.  
  
He could feel himself going into a violent heat mood but wanted to control it thinking it wouldn't be enough, or it might be too much for her. Zack loosened his grip around her waist and Aeris pulled back slightly gliding her lips down his neck to his chest and creased her fingers around his muscles. She felt she was loosing herself to him again and painfully tried to hold back.  
  
Zack didn't feel like he could hold I back anymore and grabbed her hips lifting her slightly to him and then through her back against the pillows, frenching her furiously while holding to her tightly, not letting her go for even a moment to breathe as he slid his hands up to her hair and the top of her skull and pushing it against his.  
  
She ached but she refused to pull away from his grasp. She moaned softly under her breathe as he pressed himself hard against her body again and slid his slips swiftly down her cheek and bit her neck slightly. He lifted himself and watched as her skin turned a lush red and then faded into a rosy pink and finally back to its peach color. He felt infatuated with her now and he wasn't about to slow down as he leaned over and sucked on the skin of her neck and pulled his hands down passed her shoulders holding to her the sides of her chest.  
  
Aeris felt shocked at his sudden rush but didn't want to take him off. She felt she could only savor his presence with her laying her head back against the silk deep blood red pillow holding him to her righting not to cringe as he bit into her soft neck gently, seeming to want to tease her as if threatening to break the skin.  
  
Zack fiercely forced himself into her once more causing her to scream from his sudden thrust and began to continuously push himself into her, farther, roughly pushing against her chest with his own. He felt more wanting to give himself to her with every breath that she surrendered to him, and every cry that escaped through her lips and filled his mind.  
  
He suddenly felt as if he might explode into passion so deep he not be able to escape it, but now he didn't care. He wanted to give her, her every desire, he didn't care that it might not be enough now, because if it wasn't, then neither was what he was giving her at that very moment.  
  
She cried out for him again as he pulled himself from her and then pushed back in, harder and faster each time. Aeris felt his surge of energy growing. The everlasting pain of love to her was flooding through her own mind, wanting to give in to him, to let him have her physically and mentally. But at the same time, she wanted to call out to him, to beg him to slow himself, but her love for him closed her lips and kept her silent.  
  
Slowly, Zack sat up and slid his arms under hers, gripping the back of her soft smooth shoulders as she did the same for him trying not to dig her fingernails into his tan flesh and he looked down to her, gulping in several puffs of air as he curved his arms to her spine pulled her too him and laid back with her on top of him now.  
  
She felt as if he was toying with her now, daring her to do what she tried to contain inside her. Seeing her chance made her heart skip in excitement that quickly brought into her chambered heart and destroyed her doubts inside that kept her from showing him how much she loved him.  
  
Aeris glided her fingers down his arms as she pushed forwards against his chest with her lips. Her soft peach hands curved over his hard chest and lowered them to his waist after gently kissing each place where her fingers had rested.  
  
He smiled up at the ceiling looking to enjoy her exploration game that she played on his body and she felt he might be surprised if she were to take it a bit further.  
  
Carefully, she creased her fingers down his thighs and then pushed them towards the center along his now hard dick. He shuttered slightly as her fingers lightly brushed against it. She looked to him smirking as she gently licked her lips and gently wrapped her fingers around it, sliding them up off its hard tip and then softly, back down it.  
  
Zack began to feel a certain urge that aroused him from his spot and sat him up straight into her arms. Their chests pushed hard against each others and they could now feel each other completely, both their dreams, and desires began to sink into each other's mind and they both wanted the same thing, to love each other the most they could. Zack laid her back against the pillows once more, kissing her as passionately as he could with her returning the kiss as best as she could possibly muster.  
  
Slowly, Aeris's now loose and wavy hair flowed over her shoulder and bent to the side. Zack didn't know what else to do for her. He loved her more then his own life, but he couldn't quite think of what to do, but let her rest as she began to get limp in his arms.  
  
"Aeris…" He whispered to her as he gently pulled his lips from hers and sat up slightly to let her try and open hers.  
  
"Yeah…?" She asked back slightly looking back to him, her eyelids starting to become heavy.  
  
Zack leaned over gently to the side of her ear pushing his lips against her temple as he whispered to her, "I love you…"  
  
"I love you too…." She told him, feeling as if she didn't give him enough to deserve to be loved by him. He smiled gently as he slipped the red blanket from under her and placed it over her warm body as well as his own, taking his right hand and wrapping it around her thin waist, interlocking his fingers with hers, as he turned her over to her side, so she could sleep easier.  
  
Zack knew now that not even death could keep her from him, not even Dyne's foolish attempts would separate her from his heart now and he smiled at the thought, his bright mako blue eyes glistening in excitement at the thought of always being with her. This had been the best night of his life thus far, and he believed it could only get better now, as he drifted into the same dreamless sleep Aeris had fallen into, awaiting morning to come. 


	18. Dyne's Rage

Chapter 18: Dyne's Rage  
  
  
  
Zack quietly awoke with his arm still wrapped around Aeris's stomach, rising and falling with each steady breath she took. He smiled gently at her as he felt her smooth arm softly move to the side with her hands still clasped around his calmly. He felt as if the night before had been a dream, but here he was, beside her warm smooth stripped body holding to her lovingly as she continued to sleep.  
  
She began to stir as he slightly moved his hand from her grasp, but fell back into her dreamless sleep with her hair still gently laying across the bed's sheets just as silky and shiny looking as it had been that night.  
  
Slowly, he gently placed his hand on her side and glided it downwards over her dangerous curves, allowing the covers to outline her body for him. Then she turned to the side so she was facing the ceiling, as he lifted his hand from her. As she moved, she pulled her arm above her head, slightly bent with her hand in a loose fist and her hair laid still behind her right side. The red silk cover had rolled down from her body letting a red thin sheet lay softly against her that came up partly under her arm.  
  
Zack pulled his arm up and laid his head on its side on his propped up hand and looked down on Aeris, admiring how beautiful and peaceful she looked as she slept. Her eyes were calmly shut and her lips, slightly parted as she took in small amounts of air.  
  
Gently, Aeris began to stir again, opening her eyes slightly this time, to the morning sun that poured over both of them through the parted curtains.  
  
Her emerald eyes turned their gaze to him then, and she raised her right hand from behind her and placed it carefully on the side of his face. She glided her fingers from its side to his neck and then dropped it into the silk pillow below, letting the tips of them brush against his chest as it fell.  
  
"Morning…" He whispered as he leaned over softly and pressed his lips against hers, slipping his tongue in between her parted lips.  
  
Carefully she returned it, copying his motions to satisfy him. As he pulled away he lowered his hand from her face and slid it down her side and she cupped her left hand over it and rose her own to his cheek again, gently brushing her knuckles against his soft skin.  
  
He gripped her hand before it slipped off and pulled it to his lips kissing her knuckles and then making his way up her arm to her neck as she giggled playfully at him while he tickled her with each press of his lips against her. He moved himself towards her, lifting her up into his tight muscular arms and bit slightly into her neck slightly after softly kissing it twice.  
  
They remained quiet as Zack gently laid her back, not wanting to move from their promise land but it was all destroyed by a sudden hollering from the down stairs between two men.  
  
Aeris quickly sat up holding the sheet around her chest as she leaned back against Zack as he wrapped his arms around her in comfort and protection as they listened.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir! I can't give you that information!" The man from the counter yelled.  
  
"You don't understand! I have to know where they are!" Came an angered voice followed by a loud click that made Aeris shutter in fear, not wanting to believe what she already knew.  
  
"Dyne! It's Dyne!" She whispered, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes in fear. Zack shuttered for a moment, leaning towards her, kissing her neck as he whispered to her.  
  
"It's alright, we'll be alright," He told her as he pressed his lips to her cheek trying to comfort her. She turned to him as he lifted his head to her and she quickly held to him as she closed her lips over his, two small tears of fear rolled down her cheeks as she sat there for a moment and Zack returned it as he slid off the bed holding the other sheet around him as he quickly lifted his clothes from the ground and grabbing Aeris's as well, gently laying them in front of her.  
  
As he sat down on the bed trying to place his jeans back over his legs a loud gunshot was fired that made Aeris jump and almost scream, but Zack quickly turned to her and placed his hand over her mouth before she could make a sound.  
  
"Shhh… don't panic." He told her as he laid her back, to calm down for a second but she refused to stay down and sat straight back up the moment she got the chance and pulled her dress over her shoulders and started to button it up towards her, while Zack was pulling his sweater over his head with the straps over his shoulders now. He swiftly to Aeris as she placed her thin red jacket over her shoulders and pointed to the bed and mouth the words 'under' to her and she nodded to him as she slipped off the edge to her knees.  
  
She flipped her head over and looked to see her staff was lying slightly on the ground beneath it, next to Zack's thick long sword. Aeris quickly reached over and gripped the handle of it and then Zack ducked under and grabbed his sword.  
  
Slow thick footsteps then started up the stairs and she quickly ran to the other side of the bed and scooped up the green marble like ball that laid on the floor and ran to Zack with her hair still unbraided. He was holding her bow and the other thin tie in his other hand as he placed his sword on his back.  
  
They could hear Dyne near their room knocking in doors as he passed each one of them and Zack, in a panic, ran to the nearby window and pulled it open. He looked below and grabbed Aeris's hand, with his black leather gloves, now back over his hands and swung himself over the ledge and hopped down unto the top of an old pine green broken down truck. He lifted his hands up to Aeris as she pulled herself to the ledge and jumped to his arms. They looked back up at the window for a quick moment and then hopped from the top of the truck to the ground running off quickly into the city near the Shinra Mansion, thinking they could stay there for the moment as the door was kicked open by Dyne making a loud bang as it struck the wall.  
  
"ZACK!" Dyne screamed and it rang through the quiet town, making Aeris turn back as she ran towards the house thinking he might be there, but Zack yanked her hand as he through open the gate to the mansion and ran towards the door.  
  
He twisted the knob quickly and pulled Aeris in as the image of Dyne appeared out of the corner of her eye as he stormed off towards them.  
  
She leaned against Zack's chest, listening to his heartbeat furiously against his chest in a deep panic as he took in his breaths swiftly trying to calm himself.  
  
"ZACK! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" They heard Dyne scream, his voice full of rage and fury.  
  
"HEY! What are you fucken trying to do here?!" Aeris heard Cid call out, probably upset that Dyne was disturbing his work on his ship.  
  
"Don't mess with me old man!" Dyne yelled back as he kept going towards the other homes.  
  
"Do you want to fight boy? I'll destroy your heart quickly if you like to make it painless!" Cid yelled and Aeris heard another click from Dyne's gun. She lunged herself forward and grabbed the knob that lead to the outside but Zack grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back from it.  
  
"NO! Cid needs help!" She cried as tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to get him to loosen his grip enough, but instead he turned her around and leveled his eyes with hers, looking hurt as well and staring into his bright eyes kept her from moving and he kissed her gently placing his hands over her flushed cheeks. His lips shook slightly as he pulled away and looked to her.  
  
"We… we don't have a choice, he knows you're here too. If he finds you…" He told her trailing off and then wrapped his arms tightly around her body.  
  
"He'll kill you too…" He finished as he held her.  
  
"But we can't keep running from him. He'll kill to many to get to us…" Aeris whispered as he let go of her and she choked down her tears as she spoke.  
  
"Cid will be alright."  
  
"No! He's still hurt, he's a mechanic not a fighter!" Aeris yelled quickly back. He shook her head to her and took her hand leading her up the stairs and to the right holding to her hand tightly as he walked.  
  
"We have to hide at least, if we talk and he burst through the door-."  
  
1 BAM  
  
Another gunshot was set off and Aeris cringed quickly. Zack stopped in his footsteps and looked to the windows to see the town's people gathering around in a tight circle, with Shelia in the center of it. He quickly pulled Aeris by the shoulders into the back room towards one of the curved walls as she shook in fear, looking as if to burst into tears at any moment.  
  
"What just ha- happened?" She stuttered, as she looked deep within his eyes for an answer. As he leaned forward to kiss her, to take her pain and fear from her for at least a moment the wall behind her broken open and she tumbled back into it, down a thin ramp that was poorly put together in a deep spiral. She slid back down it until she hit the cold rock bottom, groaning in pain from the sudden impact. Zack had his head resting on her chest and refused to move, so that she could lie there to regain her senses again.  
  
She looked up to watch the door swing gently opened, hitting the cold damp stonewalls gently. It seemed like an old cave and it was lined with skeletons that had probably been there for many years.  
  
Zack slipped his hands from Aeris's stomach and placed them on the floor beside it, gently pushing off her as she began to sit up. He got to his feet and examined the area, looking back over to Aeris, and placing out a hand to her to pull her up.  
  
"Where is this place?" Zack asked as he turned to see two doors in front of him beside the skeletons. He still had a hold of her soft warm hand and he pulled her with him as he made his way to the first door that was on the side. He twisted the knob, but not very far because it seemed that the door had been locked for sometime. It creaked painfully as it turned and Zack finally gave up on it, realizing the door had been locked for a long time, so if anything was in their now, it would be nothing but bones or even dust.  
  
Looking to him curiously, she gripped the knob herself trying to help him pull it open but gave up with him and then was pulled over to the door at the end. Silently he reached over with a shaking hand, and wrapped his fingers tightly around the freshly polished gold knob and twisted it gently, praying that it wouldn't creak, and to his surprise it turned fairly easy and swung open with the slightest touch of his two fingers.  
  
Carefully, Zack made his way through the door into a pitch-black room, lined with mako blue tanks, praying that they might be able to escape through here. 


	19. Powers and Mistrust

Chapter 19: Powers and Mistrust  
  
  
  
Cautiously, Zack took a small step into the darkness, admiring the tanks that lit up the other side of the room.  
  
Aeris quietly followed him holding to his hand that was tightly clasping hers.  
  
Zack steadied his breathing as he pulled her to his side and let go of her hand, slipping it around her waist instead, as he moved towards a large opening on his left. It glowed calmly worth the flames of candles that lit the sides of the large hall.  
  
Books laid still, with mount after mount of dust that covered over their opened pages and standing covers in the black selves that were carved into the walls.  
  
He peered down the silent hallway with his large bright mako blue eyes and could make out a polished oak brown desk that was on the other side of the hallway.  
  
A green velvet cushioned chair was placed on the opposite end and books were nearly arranged in small stacks on each side of it.  
  
Soft footsteps echoed off the empty walls but neither Zack nor Aeris had moved to make them.  
  
The deep black shadow of a man was pacing the area in front of them, sighing in anger, and inpatients.  
  
Zack turned to Aeris as she parted her lips to speak but was quickly silenced by Zack's forefinger as it pressed against them and then moved his own mouth to her not say a word.  
  
He dropped his hand from her side and started towards the room.  
  
Aeris began to follow but he placed his hand out behind him to stop her from taking another step. He faced her and mouthed to her "stay." And her face dropped into fear. She didn't want him displease him either, so she took in a deep breath and watched him fiercely.  
  
The figure took another turn and started back towards the door again. Zack noticed it as well and pushed himself against the bookshelf, not realizing that the shelf was loose.  
  
The board quickly snapped from the sides and the books poured onto the floor slapping loudly against the cold stone floor.  
  
Aeris's eyes widened as Zack slipped on one of the opened, fallen books and flipped towards the floor, groaning in pain as his head smacked against it, hard.  
  
"Zack!" Aeris screamed as she ran to him covering her mouth after she to him covering her mouth after she called to him in regret.  
  
He through his hand up quickly to get her to stay back from him, but she ignored him and continued towards him to help him up.  
  
"Who's there?!" Came a deep voice and Zack's eyes grew wide in reaction.  
  
"H- Hojo?" Zack asked weakly as he laid there with his eyes partly closed.  
  
Hojo appeared around the corner of his eye, his face locked in deep anger.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?!" He yelled as he made his way towards them, his footsteps seeming to stomp against the floor to release his rage.  
  
"I don't know! One minute I'm on the top floor of the Shinra Mansion, the next I'm here! I didn't even know this placed existed!" Zack screamed as he reached up and grabbed Aeris's shoulder. He pulled himself up as he looked up at Hojo trying to balance himself with Aeris holding to his arm.  
  
"Weakling…" Hojo muttered to himself as he surprisingly kicked Zack in the side, causing him to cringe in pain.  
  
"What are you doing!?" Zack yelled as he got to his feet and held to his side and pushed Aeris behind him in protection.  
  
"Get out of my sight…" He commanded as he turned away and started back into the slightly lit room.  
  
"Where's Lucrecia?!" Aeris hollered as she pushed passed Zack's left arm and glared at Hojo awaiting an answer.  
  
He stopped and turned to her pulling down his glasses to his nose glaring back at her evilly and then turned back, continuing to the back down the hallway without saying a word.  
  
"Where is she!? Answer me!" Aeris demanded again as she started after him, her fist shaking with rage.  
  
After the first few soft footsteps from her, Hojo swiftly turned, and pushed back his lab coat quickly. He pushed his hand between the unbuttoned clothing and reached to the side of his pants and then ripped out a black carefully polished revolver and pointed it to her stomach.  
  
"That is none of your concern…" He mumbled and she daringly took another step towards him, causing him to set the gun to fire with a quick click.  
  
Zack quickly ran to Aeris and yanked her back behind him, holding to her waist to keep her still.  
  
"Now get out…" He commanded to them, moving his pointer finger to the trigger.  
  
Zack scowled at him angrily as he began to back up, slipping slightly again as he moved, but Aeris gripped his arms tightly to hold his balance. Hojo never seemed to blink as he watched them slowly leave and Zack turned to Aeris as he left his sight, taking in a deep sigh.  
  
"What was that all about?" Aeris asked quietly as she held to Zack's arms still.  
  
"He's probably on drugs or something…" Zack told her as he gripped her hand and began to lead her through the other door, turning and closing it slowly.  
  
Another click sounded next to Aeris's temple and she shuddered in fear as his hot breathe brushed across her neck.  
  
"Missing something?" He whispered into her ear as he placed his hand in front of her eyes, with her black roped necklace, resting in his palm.  
  
"It would be beset if you didn't move, Zack…" He started, anger rising in his voice as he pulled his hand back from her face after placing it on her shoulder and sliding it down around her chest and around her hips with his body against hers as he slipped his arm around her waist then.  
  
"First you leave me to die, then you fuck around with her… what's next!? You gonna kill me too?!" He shouted as he swung at the back of Zack's head, knocking him into the door.  
  
Dyne's face came into view of Aeris's gaze. Sweat, poured down his face and blood dripped silently down the sides of his temples. His eyes were wide with rage pulsing through his veins as he spoke.  
  
"No!" Aeris shouted as she lunged for Zack to protect him from another violent swing from Dyne's fist but was slammed back into the wall furiously after his grip tightened around her and pushed her.  
  
"Bitch! Don't get into the way!" He screamed as he shot his gaze to her, pulling his gun front of her, between her eyes, his expression threatening.  
  
Zack stirred and jumped to his feet quickly and kicked Dyne in the side quickly.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?!" Zack screamed as he reached to Aeris pulling her up and stood before her, acting as a shield as he looked to Dyne.  
  
"You fucken tried to kill me and then you stole her from me!" Dyne hollered as he painfully lifted himself up to his feet and glared at them.  
  
"What the fuck!? I didn't steal her from you! You're just being an ass about this! And I didn't try to kill you!"  
  
"Well you fucken left me there at Rocket Town to die!!" Dyne screamed back quickly as he shook his fist with fury.  
  
"What else could I do, Dyne?! What?! You left US!" Zack screamed slowly moving his hand to his back for his sword in pain.  
  
"Us?! US!? So you care more for a girl that you met about a week ago but you don't give a damn for your childhood friend?!" Dyne yelled as he clutched his fist tightly, ready to throw it into Zack's face at any moment it seemed.  
  
"Damn straight!"  
  
"Well I hope you fucked her good last night because you're never getting that chance again!" He announced as he slammed his fist into wall on his right side, making a deep imprint and then shot his gun towards them.  
  
Quickly, Zack yanked his sword in front of him from his back and the bullet reflected from the hard steal.  
  
"Damn you! You'll never change!" Zack called out as he held to his sword tightly, looking to Aeris for a split second and then back to Dyne.  
  
"Stop it!" Aeris begged as she tried to move from behind Zack.  
  
"Fucked up bitch! What I tell you!?" He called as he shot another bullet towards them, only to have it bounce of the swords metal again.  
  
"Leave her alone…" Zack told him as he narrowed his eyes down at him, "If you want to continue this, then get out of here, what kind of place is this for you to die in?" Zack asked sarcastically.  
  
"Leave her alone eh? Well how much did she suck your dick to get you to say that, Zack?"  
  
"Shut up! You don't know what happened so keep your mouth shut!" Zack commanded as he slightly lowered his sword in front of him.  
  
"Oh.. I don't do I? I bet you gave her a couple shoves to make her scream… That's the only way to make a girl scream you know… You should have kept her quiet…" He said calmly as he lowered his gun and chuckled to himself.  
  
Zack took in a deep breath as he glared at him, lowering his sword slightly. Aeris put her hands on the sides of Zack's arms to relax him while turning her gaze to the floor.  
  
"My god… I thought I was the only one up at first from her calling for you, but when I took a step into the town the lights of house around the Inn started coming on… it was really quite amusing… You really gave it your all for her…" Dyne said continuing to chuckle at them.  
  
Suddenly, he thrusted his weapon up and fire a shot at them. The bullet flew silently and quickly towards Zack but he swerved his head to the side letting it brush beside his cheek. Aeris looked up quickly but was to in shock to move. Instead she fell backwards shooting her hands up in front of her in a panic and a swirl of bright neon yellow light exploded from the center of her palms as she pushed her right hand behind her left.  
  
A quick bolt of lightning shot towards the bullet and caused it to explode the moment it struck it.  
  
Dyne's eyes lit up quickly as the light created a blinding flash in front of him as he started to back up in shock.  
  
Aeris seemed just as surprised as they were as the light died down letting little sparks flutter down to the ground around them.  
  
Zack seemed to lose his focus and stumbled backwards. The winds began to gather from her feet and push up around her body in a tight spiral. They whipped her hair back in the wind, pushing her bangs to and from in front of her eyes.  
  
"What the-…" Dyne whispered as another blasted through her palm, inches behind her last lightning bolt and within a split second, struck Dyne's chest.  
  
Dyne stayed still after the impact, his eyes still filled with disbelief. Slowly, he then began to take a few steps back after lifting his hand to his wound on the left side of his chest.  
  
He seemed to slip on his last step and dropped to his knees silently. His gunned arm clanked nosily against the stone floor beside him, to tired and injured to shoot it any longer.  
  
Placing his hand carefully to his mouth, he coughed heavily into it. As he moved it away deep, darkened, blood, revealed itself to them on his fingers and palm, as it streamed down his arm.  
  
Aeris hit the wall behind her in shock after as she attempted to back away from Dyne, to frightened to move for what she had done to him.  
  
"Dyne?" Zack whispered as his sword dropped to the floor and clanged heavily against it, the noise echoing loudly through the hall.  
  
Dyne kept quiet as he quelled over and dropped into the floor, his head smacking loudly against the stone, as blood began to drip to the cold floor.  
  
Shuddering, Aeris stood completely still, half expecting Dyne to suddenly rise and blast his gun at them in an attempt to kill them in revenge. But he remained still on the floor, not looking to be breathing.  
  
Slowly, Zack lifted his hand back behind him and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, sliding them gently into her hand's grasp.  
  
"Come on…" Zack whispered as he softly tugged on her hand to get her to move but she was still to deep in disbelief to move from her spot.  
  
"Please…we have to get out of here…" Zack pleaded to her as he pulled on her again to make her leave.  
  
"What was that…?" She asked herself acting as if she hadn't heard a word he had said to her.  
  
"It's ok, Aeris…come on…" He begged again, trying to decide whether he should pull her harder or lift her and run.  
  
"What have I d-do-done…?" She stuttered as she looked to her hands noticing that they were shaking, even her one with Zack's black leather gloved hand clasped around it shook in fear.  
  
"Aeris…it wasn't your fault…" He tried to tell her to calm her down.  
  
"W-What have I-I-…" She started again but was stopped by Zack's gentle hand pressed against her lips.  
  
"It's ok… come on…" He told her looking deep into her eyes, his face inches from her own. He wanted to kiss her fiercely, hug her tightly and stay there telling it her it was alright, over and over again, but at the same time, he wanted to get out and run as fast as he could to the next town over to hide from everyone there in that town with her.  
  
Aeris slowly took a few steps forward towards Zack as he reached down and grabbed his sword. He placed it silently behind his back and then reached out to her with it, slipping it under her arm and around her waist as she got closer to him.  
  
She kept her gaze to Dyne's lifeless body as Zack started to lead her away towards the spiral stairs.  
  
Quickly, Zack noticed that Aeris seemed still focused in fear at what she had done. He lifted his hand and placed his palm on the side of her face as he pushed her gaze from Dyne's corpse to him.  
  
He lowered his head to her and started to shake it slowly as he continued to walk quietly towards the first step.  
  
"Don't…" He started, but was hushed by Aeris's sudden push against his lips with her own as tears began to stream down her pale cheeks.  
  
As she pulled away she continued to sob as she buried her face into his chest gripping his purple sweater as she cried.  
  
"I killed him… I killed him… What I have I done? What…?" She mumbled and he wrapped his arms around her tightly in comfort as he lowered his head into her hair softly, rocking her back and forth.  
  
"It's ok…you did nothing wrong…" Zack told her, his grip tightening around her waist as he held back his own lump in his throat.  
  
He slipped his one hand down to the back of her knees and scooped her into his arms, letting her continue to mourn Dyne. He himself knew it was not her fault, but his own. If he hadn't pushed his relationship with Aeris, he wouldn't have had to worry about Dyne.  
  
But he had, and he didn't regret it until now as he slightly turned back to face his childhood friend's broken body.  
  
As quietly as he could he made his way up the stairs, praying that the towns people wouldn't go and hunt them down and kill them as well. 


	20. Attacked and Captured

Chapter 20: Attacked and Captured  
  
Aeris quietly clung to Zack's shirt as she kept her face buried in his chest.  
  
Concerned, Zack kept his firm grip around her waist as he carried her to the top of the stairs and out the side door. He slowly slid the door shut as he leaned back to keep Aeris balanced in his arms.  
  
He could faintly hear the people outside the Shinra Mansion, talking among themselves about Cid and themselves. Zack didn't know what to do, he for once in his life, feared going near people. He was afraid they might attack and he didn't want to attack them back because they would have died innocently for being confused about what had happened.  
  
"Where are we going?" Aeris suddenly asked quietly as she lifted her face from his shirt and looked up at him. He looked down at her, trying to hide his fear, trying to look like he knew what he was doing but she seemed to notice it quickly.  
  
"Zack…" She started but he hushed her as he shook his head silently at her, closing his eyes softly as he did so. She pressed her lips together again in silence as he started off towards the stairs quietly, with each of his footsteps creaking slightly against the old floorboards beneath his feet.  
  
He suddenly stopped as he heard the soft clang of the bottom door that led into the main hallway hit the side of the wall. He started to back up against the wall and Aeris struggled for a minute to get herself down but Zack clutched to her tighter to get her to stay still.  
  
He wasn't about to give up now and ruin both their chances of escaping he thought to himself as he took in a deep breathe and slowly peeked his head from around the corner at the top of the stairs looking to see who was there.  
  
The door remained wide opened but no one was standing around it. Zack's heart began to quickly pick up the pace as his eyes darted around the room looking for any sign of anything but nothing was noticeable.  
  
Carefully, Zack turned his body gently to the side quickly scanning the area first before he took each step down the silent stairwell. Aeris was watching also around him, making sure that there was nothing around to harm them, or even surprise them.  
  
A quick flash of black caught Zack's eye as it vanished into the bottom room next to the staircase. The red carpet that was neatly placed beneath their feet was starting to feel much slipperier and he couldn't exactly hold to anything for balance and wasn't about to let Aeris down for a quick moment so he could.  
  
Slowly, he took another step forward, planting his foot firmly into the soft red carpet as he started downward once more. They could hear the soft footsteps in the room next to them and were beginning to pick up the pace on their way down.  
  
"See this?" They heard a voice suddenly speak up as the swish of someone turning echoed through the doorway.  
  
"Yes sir, isn't it a Summon Materia?" Asked another voice quietly.  
  
"Yes… yes, it is…. and what would it be doing here?" The other person asked as he started to walk a bit again.  
  
"I do not know, sir but…" He started but was quickly silenced by a loud sounding gunshot.  
  
Aeris's lips quivered uncontrollable as Zack stumbled down the last step and fell back into the wall from the gun's sudden shot. They both remained speechless and soon after Zack shook his head furiously to vanquish the echo that ran through his head and started running for the open door.  
  
The other man seemed to have noticed that him and his once living partner were not the only ones in the building as they heard him quickly walk towards them.  
  
Zack began to pick up the pace as he flew out the door and kept running towards the main town, not caring what the people did to them now. As they passed through the open gate on the fence around the Shinra Mansion, a large bloodstain caught their attention that rested on the pale coble stone ground.  
  
He skidded to a stop as he took in a quick gulp of air and his eyes widened at the spot, noticing it outlined a large man. Aeris's grip on his sweater began to tighten as he started to back up and she tugged at it to bring him back into focus.  
  
"HEY!" The man from the house screamed at them as Zack started off again.  
  
Another gunshot was sounded through the quiet town and it quickly passed them, hitting a nearby wall.  
  
"GET BACK HERE!" He screamed again as Zack's pace began to quicken and another shot was heard. Zack swerved his head to the left swiftly as the bullet skidded across his temple and then kept going into the pole that held up the city's main building.  
  
Slowly, he began to loose his stamina but tried hard to press on. He couldn't quite seem to go on though as his footsteps began to slow. His arms began to grow weak and weary of Aeris's weight and sweat poured down his face but he held tightly to her still not wanting to let her go.  
  
The other man's pace began to quicken though as he noticed his chance was getting larger, making his excitement give him a swift kick to his own energy.  
  
Zack looked around for any sign to get anywhere but tripped over a large rock that he didn't notice was in front of him as he turned his gaze away.  
  
Aeris lifted her arms to his neck in protection at the first hint that they were falling and smacked into the hard dirt beneath them, letting a soft groan escape her lips as her back hit.  
  
Zack fell into Aeris's chest and he pushed himself up slowly trying to pull himself forward to her head in fear that the man might try to attack her.  
  
The footsteps grew louder, and harder as he neared them and Zack painfully forced himself up towards her head and rested his forehead against hers looking tiredly down at her.  
  
"I'm…sorry…" He whispered to her, his eyes weak and heavy from his attempted escape.  
  
Aeris closed her own gently as she lifted her hand placed it in his on her side as she slightly shook her head at him.  
  
"It's not… your fa-." She started but was interrupted by the other man.  
  
"Bastard! What's your problem!? I should kill you right here for trying to run!" He yelled as he swiftly kicked Zack in the side, the same side that Dyne had hit before and he clutched his eyes tightly shut in pain as he was forced off Aeris.  
  
"Well… a girl?" He said as he gazed down upon her, chuckling to himself quietly as he watched her try and get up.  
  
"This might be worth doing after all…" He told himself as he reached down and wrapped his fingers around her neck, holding to it tightly. She reached up and placed her hands over his trying to make him release her from his grasp, but was to weak to do anything.  
  
"DAMN YOU!" Zack suddenly screamed as he jumped to his feet and kicked the man in the ribs, causing him to let her go.  
  
"BITCH!" The man cried out as he hit the ground and watched Zack glared down upon his body.  
  
"And I just had this thing washed! When we get down to Shinra Head quarters you're surely going to pay for this!" He screamed as he reached for a remote on his side and sat up, swiftly whipping out his gun and pointing it to Aeris's head.  
  
"Move… and she's dead… understood!?" He yelled as he pushed himself to his feet. Zack continued to glare angrily at him, but obeyed to save her.  
  
The man slowly lifted the remote to his lips and took in a deep breath before pressing in the side button and speaking.  
  
"Yeah! I got the ancient all right! And you all owe me a new suit! You should have sent Rufus!" He cried out as he let go of the button and dropped it back down to his side, clipping it to his pant's pocket.  
  
"Now… we're going to wait until my people get here…" He started to explain and Aeris slowly began to push herself up and leaned back against Zack. She had never seen people like this in her life and she didn't know what she had done wrong. She watched intensely, locked in curiosity as she looked upon the man, scanning his every detail.  
  
He had short dark black hair that flowed behind his head loosely and was combed neatly. His black shades covered his eyes that she felt gazing down upon her from behind them. He wore a deep navy blue suit that was lined with a light blue tone that glowed with the bright cloudless blue sky behind his body. A white shirt was visible at his neck from the folded back navy blue flaps from his jacket. A deep blood red tie rested in the center of his white jacket perfectly, but his whole outfit was lined with dirt now from Zack's second attempt to escape.  
  
Half of his hair was shot up at the side, which the man tried to ease down into his nice touch again, but his hair seemed to refuse to listen. Zack continued to stare the man down and refused to even blink but it seemed useless for the man's face remained locked in deep solitude towards them.  
  
"Sit…" He commanded to Zack as he snapped the gun's safety off swiftly.  
  
Taking in a deep sigh, Zack obeyed as he kneeled down but didn't break his gaze from him as he wrapped his arms around Aeris's waist from behind her. She slowly raised her hands to his and crossed her arms as she gripped his own wondering why this man was doing this.  
  
"What do you want?" Zack suddenly began holding to her tightly incase the man tried to shoot her that he could move her out of range.  
  
"I want nothing… These are my orders, I just follow them…" He told them calmly, his voice seeming to have a nice cool to them as if he felt much better then everyone else because of his sudden gain of power with his weapon.  
  
"I could have killed you at any moment… I just chose not to…" He started up again looking down at Zack, with a small smirk starting to spread across his face.  
  
"I'm glad you killed Dyne…" He began and Zack lost his focus as Aeris jolted from slightly.  
  
"Besides… I think that's why my boss wants you…" He said looking to Zack and Aeris began to become confused at what he was saying.  
  
"Your boss? What are you talking about?" Zack started as a nearby helicopter started to approach. Despite the sound of the airship, the man refused to break his gaze away from the two, keeping his cool as he watched them.  
  
"Hey Vincent! Come on! Bring them up here!" Another man commanded from the ship and Vincent slowly dropped his gun to the side and pointed it towards the helicopter.  
  
"You heard him… get on…" He commanded and Zack lifted Aeris to her feet as he stood himself, slowly starting to walk towards the airship. As he lifted Aeris into it, he slowly reached back behind his head for his large sword that was placed behind it but was stopped by a sudden bullet that reflected off of it near his head.  
  
"Don't even try to be the hero Zack…" Vincent whispered as Zack turned to see that he had his gun aimed for his temple now.  
  
Angered and frustrated, Zack carefully pulled himself over the ship's edge and sat next to Aeris, laying his head against the side of the wall with his arm wrapped around her waist as she laid her head against his shoulder, to tired to keep it up straight.  
  
Vincent was sitting across from them, crouched over as he eyed them both for any sudden movements.  
  
"Get rid of the sword Zack…" He told him and Zack lifted his hand disgustedly behind him and pulled it out from behind him and then tossed it to the side.  
  
Vincent's smirk began to grow as he lowered his gun to his knees, folding his arms down on them as well quietly as the helicopter began to pull off from the ground.  
  
The sun's rays poured into the opened door but were quickly shut out by another man who was standing behind Vincent as he slid the door shut on the side. Aeris raised her arm to her eyes until the door was closed and Zack did the same, not wanting to bare any more pain from anything. They were both tired from all of the running, all the pain, and all the suffering… and now they were being dragged off to the Shinra Headquarters that rested in the center of the large city, Midgar for a reason yet to be known. 


	21. Mad Scientist

Chapter 21: Mad Scientist  
  
The helicopter shook slightly as they continued to ride off through the day. Vincent glared at them both intensely with his handgun at his side, ready to pull it out if he needed to. His hands were folded, resting on his folded knees as he continued to stare without a single blink from his seemly dead eyes.  
  
Aeris and Zack watched him as he stared not daring to move in case he took it as a threat. Zack could slightly see the shine of his large silver sword as he sat there, as still as he could, wanting to pull Aeris behind him so she could sneak and grab his sword but then again, he didn't know exactly how to pilot a helicopter so if he actually succeeded, they both would die anyway in a crash.  
  
"We will be in Midgar soon." Vincent whispered to them as he kept his gazed locked on them.  
  
Zack stayed silent as he watched him, but Aeris jointed back slightly in surprise wondering why they were returning to her hometown because that place was fill with every piece of scum there was on the entire planet.  
  
He tightened his grip to get her to stay still as he felt her suddenly move and took in a deep breath, huffing it back out at Vincent as if in sarcasm.  
  
"They are looking quite forward to meeting you two." Vincent began again as he finally moved to his side and leaned back against the propped up side of the nearby chair. He calmly lifted his hand to his navy blue suit's pocket and swiftly snapped it open as he reached in and pulled out a silky white cloth from it. He gently began to polish his deadly weapon, which he drew slowly from his side from its sheath and then began to speak again.  
  
"We might be able to use her as a nice experiment." He told them with a slight snickering at the end of his sentence as he continued to polish his gun.  
  
Zack clenched his teeth tightly in anger at his remark and eyed him furiously. "What kind of experiment?" Zack suddenly asked trying to contain his rage that was rising quickly through his veins.  
  
"Oh you know, breeding ones, she is one of the last Cetra you know." Vincent explained and Aeris began to shake as her eyes lit up in disbelief at what he was saying.  
  
"Hey, calm down buddy, who knows, you may be the person they breed her with, Zack, so don't worry about her." He said to them snickering at his own remark quickly afterwards.  
  
Zack's fist shook fiercely as he tried at his hardest to control himself from jumping up and attacking Vincent head on which he knew he would be killed for his attempts.  
  
Aeris felt as if she was going pale and cold from fright of what Vincent was informing her was going to happen once they arrived.  
  
"One. one of the last?" She asked, stumbling over her words as she spoke confusingly.  
  
"Well. We're not sure, you could be the last, Aeris, we don't know about the. others." He told her shrugging to her as he explained and a smile spread wide across his dark face as he finished up that sent a shiver down her spine and sent Zack's rage sky rocketing.  
  
Furious, Zack lounged to Vincent, balling up his fist and through it towards Vincent's face.  
  
Swiftly, Vincent swung his arm around to the side of him and slammed Zack in the stomach before he got close enough to connect to him and it knocked him back into the floor. He skidded back towards Aeris, and his head fell into her lap. Vincent glared angrily at them and he lifted his gun to face the end of the barrel towards them. In a panic, Aeris bent over quickly and completely covered his head, and partly his body with half of her own.  
  
Vincent snickered at her bravery and placed his gun back at his side as he looked down at her.  
  
"You stupid Cetra, I wasn't going to kill him, that was only a warning, but if he tries that again, he won't be so lucky." Vincent warned as Aeris slowly lifted her head to face him.  
  
Zack raised his hands up and clasped them around Aeris's hands as he pulled himself back to his sitting position. Aeris took in a deep sigh as she looked down at him and as he pulled himself up, he lifted her and placed her on his own lap, cradling her in protection while eyeing the still demon across from them.  
  
"You can't have her." He whispered to Vincent and he only smiled back chuckling under his breath.  
  
"We already do."  
  
"Sir! We're approaching head quarters! Should I let them know we're coming in?" The man in front of the wheel asked quickly.  
  
"Yes sergeant, report to the new president that we have the two." He commanded and the pilot swiftly reached over and grabbed the nearby microphone and propped it up to his lips, gently pushing the dark gray button that rested on its side inwards to start it up.  
  
"This is Shinra one, we have located and captured the ancient and her guardian, sir." He started, his voice firm and fairly loud.  
  
"Good work, inform Vincent that he is to bring the ancient straight to the lab when you enter the building and the guardian is to be locked up in the back rooms a floor below the ancient, understood?" Another man spoke back, his voice deep and stumbling because of the static that intercepted them.  
  
Slowly a large dark shadow began to cast itself over the windows, blocking out the afternoon sun that once poured through the thin glass.  
  
A shiver ran down Aeris's spine as she sat there, clutching to Zack's thick sweater that was beginning to stick to his chest from the sweat that poured down his face. He's face was steaming red and she could feel the heat from his body rising in anger. "We're here." Vincent whispered, a slight smirk spreading across his face with his eyes glowing slightly, and sharply at them as he watched Aeris cower in fear from his look and buried her head into Zack's chest.  
  
They all could feel the copper begin to lower itself on the roof of whatever it was they were on and the blades from the top began to slow down quickly above them. The man from the front moved quickly from his seat and made his way over to the side door and through it open. Vincent didn't seem to move and the man climbed out a waiting for someone else to go.  
  
"Move it girl.." Vincent commanded as he flipped out his gun from his side sheath and pointed it at her and then to the door.  
  
She hesitated for a moment looking up at Zack as he painfully let go of her and she slowly stood to her feet, every fiber in her body shaking uncontrollably in fear of Vincent and everyone else here that was looking to have her.  
  
Zack began to get to his knees and Vincent shot a bullet passed his ear and shook his head down at him.  
  
"No. You have to stay." He informed him and Aeris turned back frantically not wanting to leave without him. Zack snarled at him as he clenched his teeth together in anger and strapped his fingers against the floor.  
  
"No! I'm not going!" Aeris screamed as the man grabbed her wrist and started to tug her towards a nearby open door. She pulled back against him trying to break his grip but she was too weak to do anything. Quickly without thinking she began to pound at his wrist, trying to hurt him so bad that he had to let go but smacked him upside the face.  
  
Full of rage the man swung a punch at her and knocked her into the ground quickly to stop her and shut her up.  
  
Small pellets of rain began to fall from the dark black sky around them and a small roar of thunder rolled in swiftly afterwards. Aeris laid still on the ground as the rain pelted off her face and body, running down her side and into the floor.  
  
Carefully, the man knelt down beside her fragile body and scooped her up into his arms and started walking towards the door again, his face was concealed behind a large blue soldier hat that was pushed downwards so that the tip was facing the floor. Zack shook violently with rage as he watched him take off with her and Vincent chuckled at him slightly as he watched him.  
  
"Alright. now lets go. out!" Vincent commanded as he got up and kicked Zack in the ribs for the fun of it and pushed him out the open doorway.  
  
Filled with fury he held it in, hoping that he could release it on something else so he could help Aeris get out of where ever she was being held. He remembered the other man say that she would be held a room above him in a special lab, but which floor would he be on.  
  
He looked up into the darken sky as it was suddenly lit by a quick bolt of lightning at the large building in front of him. A huge mark was stretched across it as he watched another flash of lightning light up the area so he could read it.  
  
SHINRA INC. HEADQUATERS  
  
Quietly he turned away from the sign and watched his feet as he continued to walk with Vincent's gun on his back, still with as much anger as he could possibly muster through his veins.  
  
As he was shoved into the building he quickly pushed back his hair letting the water flick back from his spiked up black hair. He eyed the area around him and looked for any sign of Aeris but the man with her had vanished. As he stopped for a moment Vincent came up behind him and shoved him further on into the greatly lit room. The people around them working at their desks ignored him and Vincent as they both walked passed the others slowly towards an elevator.  
  
Zack could only wish now that his sword was resting safely on his back to help himself get out of the area, to just slice everyone's fucking head right of their shoulders. To run and get Aeris and then out the front doors but instead it was laying back in the copper out the front a waiting to be taken from it.  
  
As he was being forced into the nearby elevator he noticed it was see through. He looked on in amazement at the city below that was lit up brightly from the bar and factory lights in a circular pattern, separated into eight sections like a pie would be but it had pitch black high walls spitting this up instead.  
  
Coolly Vincent made his way over to the control pad and gently touched the keys and then folded his arms in front of him looking straight ahead as it began to lift.  
  
"Nice city isn't it?" Vincent asked Zack as he continued to watch the doors. Zack stayed silent as he continued to watch out the window while the elevator launched towards the top floors, making the city grow larger and larger.  
  
"Well, most don't think so, everyone who lives here lives under those brightly lit plates of steel and it's dark down there, poisonous even. Not a single blade of grass beneath it." He explained as he moved his eyes to the side and noticed that Zack was watching his every moment now.  
  
A soft ring alarmed him as the room began to slow and soon after stop. The digital numbers above their heads glowed a soft red showing the number fifty-six. The doors swiftly slid back into the wall to produce a large room that branched out into several nearby rooms. Vincent waited until Zack stepped out and then he unsheathed his gun once more, forcing Zack along his path.  
  
Zack eyed the nearby rooms intensely praying that one of them would show at least a little of Aeris, even of her being pulled off but he could see nothing.  
  
"Please! Let go!" He heard a woman scream and he instantly recognized the voice and stopped quickly turning towards his left, looking in hope he'd see her.  
  
"Aeris!" He cried out but as smacked upside the head with the back of Vincent's gun which sent him to the floor dazed and weak.  
  
"Let go!!! ZACK!" She screamed back as she pushed through the men and tried to get through the nearby door but was caught as she reached the frame. Her emerald eyes lit up as she spotted Zack on the floor, unable to move.  
  
"Bastard!" She hollered at Vincent as she tried to take a few steps more forward but was caught by her arms by a young man in a long bleach white lab coat and was dragged back into the room as she kicked and screamed at him, with the doors closing swiftly soon afterwards by another man.  
  
"Hmph.lousy ancient. she doesn't even know her own powers." Vincent told himself as he switched his gaze over to Zack's sprawled body and kicked it quickly.  
  
"Get up and keep walking!" He commanded as he reached over and gripped the back of his shirt and tugged him to his feet followed by a quick shove from behind to get him going.  
  
Slowly, Zack made his way towards the right side door and passed through it, and started down a narrow long hallway, lined with nothing but plain steel walls.  
  
They finally reached the other end and he was forced around the corner and swiftly into the first room on his left. Zack stumbled a bit as he passed through the door and into a held up bed that was right in front of him. He carefully turned to face Vincent as he had just raised his hand to the side of the door and pushed in a small button causing the door to drop down from the frame and seal him in. As he watched, Vincent gave a small smirk to him, turned to his own left and then walked off back down the plain hallway, when sudden bolts and plates appeared around the sides of the door to seal it in permanently.  
  
Zack collapsed solemnly onto the floor with his back against the propped up bed, his knees pulled up and spread so he could lay his arms on each one. He let out a heavy sigh as he began to try and think of a way to get out trying not to fall asleep. He must find Aeris; the day had gone so fast he had to get her now, especially if they were planning to do what Vincent had informed them earlier.  
  
He looked around the room, gaining every detail he could, seeing the cold steel gray bolted walls with tightly pushed in screws. The solid bed was propped up only inches from the ground, with a soft white prison pillow and a peach plain mattress covered up slightly with a pale peach sheet for warmth.  
  
Curiously, he turned his gaze towards the sealed door and slowly made his way up to it. Examining the bolts around it that held it down began to tap at them, to see if any were even the slightest bit loose.  
  
One after another. they were all hard and pushed in tightly as he had discovered. angered he punched the last one to release his rage and it creaked softly as he turned away from it.  
  
Believing it to be nothing, Zack began to push himself up but then the bolt dropped from the side of the door and began to swing gently back and forth from its loose bolt and then finally feel to the floor.  
  
Quickly, he returned his gaze and knelt down in front of it and grabbed the small plate that was once held on the door. He carefully then lifted it under the next bolt and made it so it would slightly hook under it and stood to his feet, pulling it upwards as hard as he could.  
  
The plate cut through the next one easily and he flipped backwards onto the floor from all the pressure he had put into what he had done. Smiling, he stood back up and went for the next plate, and then the next, and then the next, cutting through each easier each time until he came to the last one.  
  
He looked at this one carefully knowing the door would cave in on him if he didn't take it slow. Smoothly, he lifted his weapon to break the bolts and slid it gently under the last one, and then lifted his other hand to the doorframe window, gripping it tightly as he slowly began to pull the plate through the last one. It screeched even louder then the other ones did and the door began to slide forwards underneath him. He tried hard to hold to the door, pulling it upwards as best he could so it wouldn't slip and fall on him or the floor that fast and he finally snatched through the last plate.  
  
Dropping his cutting device quickly, he through his other hand under the door and pulled it slightly from the ground and dragged it inwards. Praying that there were no guards outside the door he slowly dropped it on the cold floor and then started off through the frame. Zack knew he didn't have a weapon that he couldn't defend himself if he had to but he didn't care; all he wanted was to get Aeris before they began to experiment on her or something.  
  
Swiftly he made his way down the hallway. After checking to make sure that there weren't any guards he smoothly passed through the large brilliantly lit room and made his way towards the door that Aeris had once been standing in.  
  
It had been reopened now strangely but he ignored the thoughts in his mind that tried to answer him why that it was opened as he passed through it.  
  
The room was empty, not a soul in sight could be found, nor a single footstep could be heard. Cautiously, he slowly started walking towards a nearby black elevator that looked to solid like a normal one and rode only to the floor above him.  
  
Where Aeris was.  
  
Zack began to pick up his speed as he walked passed the heavy machines and finally reached the elevator, and pushed the small green glowing button that rested on its right side.  
  
A low humming sound could be heard from above and short sound of the elevator screeching slightly as it made down filled the empty room. Zack eyed the area quickly to make sure that no one could here what he had and then turned back towards the shaft as the elevator finally reached his level.  
  
He quickly jumped on without even a second's thought and slammed his fist into the other button that lead up. Clutching his fists together, and cracking his knuckles, he prepared to fight if he needed to. Scientists couldn't be that hard to fight he believed as it finally reached the floor above and drew back its thinly wired doors.  
  
The machines in this room were much smaller then in the room below but a large bright blue cylinder tank stood out of all the gray steel machines. It glowed a gentle royal blue and something was in it.  
  
Carefully, Zack slowly made his way over to its side and looked down into it. There, resting on the floor was a young woman, curled up in a ball and shuddering violently in the cold fumes that filled the area inside it. He gently knelt down beside her and tapped placed his hand to the glass, hoping she'd get up and see him.  
  
"Aeris.?" He whispered and the woman stopped shaking, and turned her head calmly at him. Her eyes were weak and tired but they glowed with the same sparkle she had in her large emerald colored eyes.  
  
She gave him a weak smile as she slowly pushed herself up and placed her hand to where he had his, her eyes begging him to figure out a way to release her. She mouthed the words 'Help me' to him and he looked around the small room for a way out.  
  
A small sliding door stood out on the side of the tank and Zack slowly got to his feet and slowly walked over to it. Aeris got to her feet as well and followed him within the tank looking to see where he was going without being able to hear anything from within the tank because of the sound proof glass.  
  
As he finally reached the door he gripped the sides and fiercely tried to pull it to the side but it wouldn't budge no matter what he tried. He then thought up something quickly and waved his hand in front of him to make her back up or at least move away from the door and she nodded and backed up a few steps.  
  
Zack then jumped back a couple steps of his own and then charged as fast as he could towards the door, his shoulder down ready to smash through the glass as he neared it. He closed his eyes and prepared for the pain, as he slammed hard into the glass, smashing through it quickly and skidded into the ground.  
  
A soft yelp escaped from Aeris's lips as he hit the floor and she hesitated before she bent down and placed her hands over his face, pushing the broken glass from his body. She quickly raised her hands up behind her head and pulled the large pink bow from her hair and then lowered it to Zack's forehead, wrapping it tightly against it to secure his wounds.  
  
He opened his eyes gently and smiled up at her warmly as she finished her nice tight knot at the side of his head.  
  
"Hey." He whispered as he looked up at her and she smiled back down at him in amusement at his attempt to make her laugh.  
  
Carefully, he lowered his black leather gloved hands to his sides and pushed himself up, shaking his head to his right left and then right to rid it of the broken glass shards that were tangled in it.  
  
Aeris raised herself from the ground as well after he finally got to his feet and humming of the nearby elevator drew their gaze to it. Zack quickly reached over and grabbed Aeris's hand and started out of the tank and looked around for an exit. He quickly noticed a small frame at the opposite end of the room and began towards it, pulling Aeris along side him.  
  
"What are you going to do with the Ancient later?" A man softly asked who was supposedly on the elevator.  
  
"I'm not sure, we must breed her though, but we're not sure if there's another ancient around to make her offspring pure because if it's not we'll loose all our research." The other man explained to him.  
  
"Well then, we'll just have to get started right away on finding a suitable specimen, Hojo." The first one told him.  
  
Zack stopped in his tracks at the sound of the name and turned back towards the wired doors until the top of the elevator came into view, then he turned the corner, dragging Aeris swiftly with him.  
  
As he pulled her around it, he wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his hand over her mouth to hush her as he moved his head to the side to listen to Hojo and the other man.  
  
"What about your wife?" The one man asked to Hojo, curiosity high in his voice.  
  
"Ha! My wife is one of my many experiments, she will give birth soon to my greatest creation. My son will become the most powerful creature on this planet and nothing will ever get in his way. I just have to make him fear me and only me and then he will do as I command." Hojo explained, laughing madly as he spoke to the curious young man that was with him.  
  
Zack clenched his teeth in fury as he listened to Hojo decide his wife's fate. Aeris had been listening to and she looked to the floor in pity for Lucrecia. He turned his gaze towards her and lowered his hand from her lips and held her tightly as he started off again near the door across the new the room they were in hoping to get far enough towards the exit the building soon before Hojo and the other man realized she was missing. 


	22. Escape from Certain Death

Chapter 22: Escape from certain death  
  
  
  
Zack cautiously was pulling Aeris around each corner. He was quickly passing through each doorway, his footsteps almost completely silent as he carefully walked around the area. The walls were bare and painted a dull gray but cameras seem to completely cover them with movement sensors on their lens to track every move they made. Zack didn't seem to notice nor care though about the cameras. They already knew what he looked like and they probably already figured out that he and Aeris were now missing so it made no difference to him.  
  
Slowly, Aeris followed after Zack, trying to keep in step with him so she didn't trip and fall, to slow them both down by mistake.  
  
Zack suddenly turned to Aeris as they came to a dead end and he started scanning the area for anywhere to go. The door before them was locked tight, with a lot more bolts then the door that held him in his tiny prison had.  
  
Suddenly, a gleam from a small vent gate caught his eyes, slightly above his head. He quickly turned his gaze to it and lifted his hands up, wrapping his fingers tightly around the thin silver iron bars and tugged back on them fiercely. They pulled from their latches and he slightly fell back from the force he used to yank the bars with.  
  
Aeris reached out her hands behind him and pressed them against his back, holding his position so he could regain his balance, softly lean over and then drop the broken vent on the floor beside him.  
  
As he stood once more, he turned to her and placed his arms under hers, lifting her above the ground quickly, and swung her towards the opening so she could crawl into it easily. He watched as she made her way in, and quickly pulled himself up after her. Aeris pushed herself forward, watching the vents that came before her, carefully curving herself around them so not to fall through.  
  
Soon she came to the first bend and pushed herself so that she was sitting with her back against the wall and Zack made his way towards her grabbing her ankle as she started to move to go on.  
  
"Shhhh.. Don't move." He whispered as he looked down carefully at the one vent to see that there were people noticing the movement in the vents. Zack took one more step towards Aeris, placing himself next to her and looked around for any exit way but could find none.  
  
"Just wait a few more minutes." He told her and looked to her eyes and she smiled, lifting her hands gently to his face. She didn't seem to care of kind of danger they were in. Even in the dusty vent she didn't worry about how bad the place was. Instead, she leaned over quickly and took his lips with her own, holding to him tightly.  
  
A bit shocked from her sudden kiss, he hesitated for a moment before he calmly closed his eyes, lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist as he returned it.  
  
As she slowly pulled away from him, a soft chuckle escaped his mouth as he looked to her.  
  
"What was that for?" He asked in a low whisper as he tried to think whether to move or not.  
  
Aeris shrugged at him and shyly smiled at him, turning her head away slightly with her gaze to the nearby iron wall. He chuckled at her and quickly lifted his hand under her chin and pulled her head back over towards her, leaned over and captured her lips with his partly smiling as he did. As he pulled away Aeris looked over at him, seeming to be thinking of a different but similar question to ask him but couldn't she couldn't think of anything different.  
  
"What was that for?" She asked him softly as she moved her arms away from his neck.  
  
He shrugged to her slightly and smiled as he slowly pulled his arms back from her waist as well, "Don't know, just felt like it." He answered in a playful voice and then tipped his head to the side as a motion for her to move on.  
  
Aeris nodded quickly to him in agreement, closing her eyes for the moment as she did so and then turned to her right and started off towards the light that shone brightly ahead of her from the exiting vent. Zack followed closely behind her keeping his head at her his waist as he walked with her.  
  
As they finally reached it, Aeris sat back and Zack pushed himself slightly up so he sat back partly against the vent with his legs resting on top of hers. He eyed the surrounding area in front of him to make sure no one was around, and noticed the deep green glow of the room. Carefully, he then wrapped his fingers around the bars and tugged them back forcefully to pull them out.  
  
A sharp sounding screech reined through the area as he scrapped the vent back against the sides of the ventilation shaft until he finally turned it sideways before it hit Aeris in the side of the head. He softly laid it to the other side of Aeris so she could get out and then made his way in front of her, backing up so not to go head first out of the air duct. His feet slipped softly over the edge of the vent and he felt around with the soul of his foot for anything that he could rest it on. A solid bar came across his reach and then he slowly made his way down farer, hitting the floor with his other foot.  
  
He quickly lifted his one from the bar before it could get caught in it and then lifted his hand to the top of his hair, swiping it back, allowing the dust to flick from each blade. Zack then turned his gaze back to the vent Where Aeris was still kneeling in, looking down at him. Slowly, he raised his arms up to her and she gently made her way over to him, sliding her feet forward and ducking under the side so she was barely sitting on the edge of the vent. Carefully, with her hands shaking, she lifted them from her grip against the side of the vent to keep her balance and reached out to Zack, gripping his arms tightly and he slightly lifted her from her spot and lowered her gently until her feet touched the blue tiled floor.  
  
As he let go his eyes left her gaze and traveled around the room for a way out of it. He could only see the elevators though and he knew they would be spotted if they attempted to get into them and ride to the bottom.  
  
After taking in a deep sigh he looked around the room again for another way out but was stopped by a light tap to his shoulder. Aeris was hitting him gently to get his attention but at first he didn't seem to notice so, she carefully gripped his shoulder and started to shake him softly and he finally turned his eyes towards her.  
  
"Over there." She whispered to him as she released her hand from his shoulder and pointed over towards an almost hidden door with bright red letters above it that read.  
  
STAIRS  
  
Smiling down at her, he then gripped her hand with his and started towards the doors. After he got close enough, he stopped in front of the dark blue door and started rubbing his hand against the creases, trying to find the knob that seemed to have vanished within the deep colors.  
  
His fingers then lightly brushed against the cold iron royal blue knob. He quickly lifted his hand as it hit and then slammed it down, clasping his fingers around it. Swiftly, he turned it and through it open. Holding to Aeris's hand Zack started down the stairs, his feet echoing against the empty black walls as he made his way down, trying not to go fast to pull Aeris down the steep stairs so she'd trip.  
  
She held to the smooth railing to keep her balance as she followed after him, looking for another door but none came into view. She quickly then looked down through the center and yanked back Zack's hand as she stared through the endless sets of stairs.  
  
Zack stopped and looked back at Aeris as she continued to stare downwards and then started to slowly make his way towards her and then looked down the center with her.  
  
"Damn. this could take forever." He whispered but it didn't seem like he did because his voice echoed loudly through out the deep room.  
  
Aeris looked up at him silently taking in a deep breath and then noticed a crack of light in front of them. She kept a firm grip on his hand as she started towards him, pulling him along towards it with her.  
  
Cautiously he kept his gaze on her and tried to match what she was staring at. He turned his head as she walked passed him slowly and noticed the white light that gleamed out of the corner of his eyes from a pressed in door. He carefully walked along side her as she reached it and lifted her hand gently and flattened it against the cold steal and tried to push it open but it didn't seem to budge. She then turned her gaze towards the side of it and started searching for a knob but like before the color of the door seemed to match the color of it making it invisible to them.  
  
Zack looked to the other side and started smoothing his own hands against it searching for one as well, but no matter how much they tried they couldn't find one. Zack didn't know if he should now and she suddenly heard the door above him swing open, it creaking loudly and loud voices began yelling through the area and Aeris jumped as the door from above struck the wall.  
  
Out of fear, Zack turned back to the door and quickly did a side kick against it, knocking it open. He could here it fall as he looked out into the open sky. As he lowered his wide-eyed gaze he noticed that it seemed to be like drop that would surely kill them both.  
  
Aeris looked down towards the other stairs from the shock of where the door was planning to lead them and heard another door swing open from below them.  
  
"The Ancient must be around here! She couldn't have escaped sound the alarm and search the elevators and the rest of the stair wells." They heard Hojo from above them yell.  
  
"Yes sir!!" A man yelled as he started back up the stairs towards the top floor.  
  
Aeris looked up and then back down the middle of the stairs at the men as they began picking up the pace, her body shaking in fear.  
  
Zack could tell how bad the situation was getting now and his breathing began to pick up the pace as he looked to her, and then without thinking he scooped up Aeris into his arms and walked to the edge of the wide opened door and closed his eyes, taking a step forward and started falling out of it.  
  
"There she is!" They could hear the men say behind them.  
  
"FOOLS! THEY JUMPED!" Hojo screamed as he came barreling down through the other soldiers and ran towards the opened door.  
  
Aeris clinged to Zack forcefully as she felt them start to fall. The wind began pushing passed them and Zack tightened his grip to her as he watched the ground come towards them closer. He looked to Aeris and thought to himself that there might have been another way to get out of the building and now he had just killed them both.  
  
"Zack!!" She screamed as she looked below them, her eyes pleading to him for this to only be a dream. His mind went blank. He didn't know what to tell her as they continued to plunge towards the ground; he just closed his eyes tightly and pulled her close to him.  
  
Unaware, Hojo was watching them from above and a swift breeze caught his attention as he released his gaze from them he narrowed his eyes to the side of building and a large plane came charging towards them and swiftly passed Hojo and the other men as it flew by. Hojo held his grip firm on the sides of the door so not to fall from the sudden blast of wind, but as the wind died he watched as the plane plunged into a straightforward dive towards Zack and Aeris.  
  
"NO! MY SPEICIEM!!" He screamed from above but Aeris and Zack couldn't hear him because the plane's engines drowned his voice out.  
  
The small plane sudden pulled up at them and Zack slammed into the back seat of it letting out a loud yelp of pain as his ass struck the leather.  
  
Aeris was shaking violently along with Zack from the sudden catch from it and they had their eyes tightly shut as it suddenly shot up into the air again and then started straight towards the outer part of the city.  
  
"HA! That was great!" They heard a familiar voice scream in happiness.  
  
Zack slowly opened his eyes, trying to squint passed the bright setting sun and looked ahead of them towards the front seat. Aeris did the same as she started to slowly release her grip from Zack's back, hoping she didn't dig into his skin to badly.  
  
Bright yellow hair caught their eyes in front of them and the familiar smell of cigarettes in cased the air above them and the man before them slightly turned, pulling up his large brown goggles and started chuckling at them.  
  
"Aw yes! The two are finally coming to! Shera, give them the bag I told you to pack!" Cid yelled, his smile warming. Shera sat next to him, on his right side and she carefully lifted a white plastic bag and slowly turned to face them. She smiled herself as at them happily and gently handed back to the bag to them, trying not to lose it in the thick breeze that pushed against them.  
  
Zack slowly lifted his hand up from under Aeris's back and reached out, grabbing it gently from her and then placed it down on Aeris's stomach as he pulled it out.  
  
He then began to untie the knot that held it shut and pulled it open to see what was inside of it. Zack laughed as he looked at the contents inside and pulled out a white shirt along with newly bought pants and then pulled from it a bright red shirt for Aeris and tight jeans along with it.  
  
He looked down at his own clothes and noticed that they were a bit dirty anyways but wondered why Cid had gotten these things for them.  
  
"Hey! What are these for?" Zack yelled over the loud engines and powering winds that rushed passed them.  
  
"Thought you might like to go to dinner with us!" Cid yelled back looking back to them with a smile spread wide across his face.  
  
"Dinner?! We just jumped off the 56th floor of a building and you want us to go to dinner!?" Zack screamed, his face looking in disbelief but with a playful smile across it as well.  
  
"Yup! That's the case!" Cid yelled back and Shera started chuckling at him.  
  
"So what do you say, Aeris? Wanna go?!" He asked her and she rolled her eyes while a small smile spread grew on her own pale face.  
  
"Sure! Sounds like fun!" She yelled as she lifted herself and kissed him gently, just happy to be alive.  
  
"OK THEN! OFF TO COSTA DEL SOL!" Cid screamed as he placed his foot down and started the gas up to full speed as they sped off over the ocean without a single trace of the Shinra in sight towards Costa Del Sol on the second continent. 


	23. Dinner with the DareDevils

Chapter 23: Dinner with the Dare Devils  
  
  
  
Cid continued to speed off with Aeris in Zack's comforting arms behind him and Shera's seat.  
  
Aeris had fallen into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, with her head resting against Zack's chest calmly.  
  
Zack had fallen asleep as well with his head resting on top of hers with his arms wrapped gently around her thin body.  
  
Shera watched them silently as she started to drift herself and Cid reached out to her shoulder, softly placing his black-gloved hand on it, gently shaking her.  
  
"Don't you go to on me, we'll be there in 15min you gotta be ready to jump out and wake the two up." He told her, trying hard not to yell and it seemed she understood him because she quickly turned her head as he shook his own at her. As Shera watched the two peaceful sleepers in the back, Cid gazed off towards the horizon of the solid calm ocean towards the softly colored setting sun in awe.  
  
"When's the last time you ever saw a sunset like that?" He whispered as the engines began to run smoothly to Shera.  
  
She could only smile and shake her head slightly at his question.  
  
"I haven't seen anything more beautiful in my life really." She gently told him, her voice pure and sincere.  
  
"Yeah." he started, his voice deepening and comforting as he softly turned his gaze to Shera's, her face being lit up warmly by the suns dimming rays.  
  
But as she looked to him with the same look upon her faze, he quickly shook his head and cleared his throat before he spoke again.  
  
"Hmph. yeah. beautiful." He grunted at her and it swiftly caused her turn her head to the side in shame, with a frown falling over her lips for what she had done. Her thin hairs from her bangs swayed back gently against the wind and Cid noticed her depression was starting to grow again and decided to speak up again.  
  
"So.uhhh." He started again only this time he kept his own sight lowered towards the front of the plane. "Where's the dress you're going to wear later?" He finished up shyly.  
  
"Oh.umm. hold on, I know I have it somewhere." She said as she lowered her head towards her feet and began to search for her bag.  
  
Her fingers gently brushed against the plastic of it under her seat as she swung them around looking for it.  
  
"I think this is it." She told him as she got a firm hold on it and pulled it up and then laid it gently on her lap. Shera quickly got her hands on the knot and untied it carefully, then separated the plastic from it.  
  
"Yup, this is it." Shera quickly informed him as she slipped her hands under the soft deep blue velvet strapless dress and lifted it to her face so she could examine it.  
  
A deep cost line then came into Cid's view and he released his gas pedal slightly and started pushing the buttons to slow the speed of the plane, tilting it down slightly as well as he headed towards the darken coast.  
  
Shera turned back to face the two once more and noticed Aeris stir and then tighten her grip on Zack's sweater, trying to bury the side of her face deeper into him. Zack slowly rubbed his head against hers as well, after taking in a deep breath and releasing his grip her shortly and then tightened it back around her.  
  
"Psst." Cid started towards Shera, tapping her on the shoulder slightly to make her turn around.  
  
"What is it?" She whispered to him in confusion as she watched him reach over and pull over a belt and tied it around himself.  
  
"Put on your belt, I have a better way of waking those two up." He told her looking to her with a wide smirk across his face. Shera's eyes lit up quickly, as she realized what he was planning to do. She reached over and took her belt and pulled it across her lap and then reached to hold tightly to the side of the plane and held to the seat with her other seat.  
  
Cid chuckled a bit as he watched her panic and then turned his head towards his controls and gripped them tightly then shot them forwards.  
  
Aeris immediately awoke as she felt the sudden dive downwards. Cid was laughing madly and Zack suddenly awoke, his eyes almost looking to see if they're about to fall out of his head as they plunged towards the sea.  
  
"CID!" Shera screamed as she looked to see how close they were getting.  
  
"What?" He asked her as he smiled looking over to her and then quickly yanked back on the controls, making the plane level with the ocean, inches from touching it as it blew it around with wings of his plane.  
  
"This is fun!" He screamed as he turned the plane to the side and started going in sharp circles, skidding the plane's wings against the water, making a perfect circle.  
  
Zack then began to break into a mad laugh as he held to Aeris tightly. She was basically going into a huge panic, clinging to his shirt with her nails digging into his skin.  
  
"Hey, calm down." Zack told Aeris as he loosened his grip and moved her slightly to his side so she could feel the water against her as it sprayed towards the side.  
  
As he moved her Cid turned more sideways, letting a huge blast of water pour over all of them.  
  
Cid spit some of the water that got into his mouth out over his side of plane, and lifted one of his hands quickly to wipe the water from his eyes.  
  
"Yes! This feels so good! I haven't had this much fun since I was kid!" Cid screamed, continuing to laugh and then he turned the ship back over so it was parrell to the water and then went lower to it so his ship acted like a boat along the waters.  
  
Aeris lifted her hands to her bangs and pulled them back to the sides of her face and out of her eyes and started giggling to herself as she looked to Zack who was now soaked.  
  
Shera had her hands tightly around her dress to keep it from getting wet and as Cid pulled back so they were straight again, she hurled it back into her plastic back to keep it from getting wet. Cid pulled his wet cigarette from his mouth and flicked it to the side into the ocean and then shot up into the air in a perfect right angle towards the sky.  
  
The wind pushed fiercely around all of them like a huge blow dryer and Cid then pulled so they flying straight again but kept his speed the same as he curved over and headed back to Costa Del Sol.  
  
"Whew! That gave those beachers something to cheer about! Just watch, we'll get a ton of stuff outta doing that huge stunt show for them." He told them chuckling to himself still as he slowed his speed and headed down towards the grassy plains next to the small town.  
  
He pushed in a small button and his plane's wheels gently folded themselves from underneath and hit the ground gently, causing it to bounce until they finally touched down and started skidding towards the town.  
  
"Uhh. Cid?" Zack started noticing that they weren't slowing down very much as they skidded closer towards the town's wide-open main street.  
  
The smiles of all of them except Cid vanished from their faces as concern arose as their expressions as they all noticed that Cid was playing chicken.  
  
"Cid, come on, slow down." Shera begged and Aeris's eyes lit up as she watched in horror as he continued to go the same speed.  
  
"Cid! Come on!" Zack yelled as he held to Aeris and looked to Lucrecia thinking to jump if he didn't stop.  
  
But Cid didn't stop, he kept going but suddenly, he turned and headed for the sidewall of the city, which made them all start to panic even more. Zack quickly wrapped himself around Aeris, burying her face into his chest and shielded the back of head with his arms as well as his face.  
  
Shera ducked and turned to force her head into the cushion of the seat and wrapped her hands on the back of her head, preparing for a fierce impact but Cid suddenly yanked the controls to the side, making it go sideways.  
  
Quickly thinking, he jumped up and grabbed the lever at the top and pulled it towards him and the plane's engines suddenly shut off and the plane slammed to a stop, inches from the wall.  
  
Dust trailed around them as Zack slowly began to release his grip from Aeris and Lucrecia began to get up from her spot, squinting through her glasses to see where they were.  
  
Aeris lifted her head from Zack's chest and the wind began to clean the dust from around them. She stared in disbelief at how close the large white brick wall was from her.  
  
They all looked to Cid and he looked to each of them, staring them all deep in the eyes of their disbelieved faces.  
  
"What?" He asked them as he grabbed the side of the plane and stood up, leaping over the side. They all continued to stare at him as he reached back in and grabbed his own clothes that he had gotten himself for that night.  
  
"Well hey! I just gave you all a free shower. Come on! Can't have I have a little fun?" He asked them, shrugging to them and taking in a deep breath. All three of them still stood perfectly still looking to him without blinking.  
  
"O.k. fine. forget it. I'll meet you guys in front of the restaurant at nine o'clock tonight ok? For now, lets just get a hotel or something." He told them after lifting his right hand out to his side and flicking it out at them and releasing a loud sigh.  
  
As he left their sight, Zack turned to Aeris, noticing she was still clinging to him. Her nails had dug deep into his stomach and the pain was starting to rise.  
  
"Ow." He whispered as he gently let go of her and lowered his hands to his hands to hers and began trying to pry them off. Aeris finally got the hint to let go as he began trying to pull her hands back and quickly let go of him. He released a deep breath in relief and looked to her shaking his head with a smirk across his face.  
  
Shera looked as if she was about to have a heart attack and drop dead right then and there in her seat but she quickly shook off her shock and jumped out her side and headed after Cid to help him out with getting a room followed by Zack and Aeris.  
  
Aeris held to Zack's hand as they traveled into the now dark town and noticed several people running up to Cid and crying out to him how good a show he had put on for them and he was sure looking as if he was really enjoying all that attention.  
  
Zack rolled his eyes and Aeris bit her lip as she watched Lucrecia trying to make her way towards Cid through the thick crowd of people.  
  
Only stopping for a moment to watch, Zack looked to Aeris and then pulled her over towards the hotel and let his hand fall to the knob.  
  
Twisting it quickly, he entered, closely followed by her and headed over towards the counter. He reached into his pocket with his free hand then and yanked out a small sack of money and dropped it on the desk in front of the manager.  
  
"We need a room." He told him, still out of breath from the sudden act of boldness from Cid.  
  
The manager slowly nodded to him but his eyes were focused on the sack of gil that rested in front of him. He calmly leaned over and grabbed the top and untied it, then tipped it slightly and poured the money into his hands.  
  
Quickly counting it, he figured it was more then enough and looked up to Zack as he reached behind him and pulled a key that was placed on the side by itself.  
  
"Been awhile since I found a person with this kind of money to pay off for a room." He said as he handed it towards Zack.  
  
He snatched it out of his palm and tossed it up in front of him and caught it, gripping it tightly.  
  
"Well, there are plenty of others that have that kind of money, you just have to wait for the people that live in Midgar, Rocket Town, and Junon." he told him as he gave him a quick smile and started back up the stairs and out the door.  
  
"Where are we going now?" Aeris asked him softly noticing most of the rooms were inside that area actually.  
  
"Over here. It's a special room." He told her, winking quickly to her as he spoke.  
  
Aeris giggled to him and looked to the ground and then to the two bags of clothes for both him and her.  
  
"I don't think that'll happen tonight." She whispered to him and looked around towards the room they were headed towards.  
  
"That's what you think." He mumbled to himself.  
  
"What?" She asked curiously and he quickly got rid of his smile to hide what he was thinking.  
  
"Hmm? I didn't say anything." He told her quickly to avoid getting caught.  
  
"Oh. thought you did, sorry." She explained slowly and then turned her gaze towards the room.  
  
"Is that our room?" She asked him, pointing slightly up at it.  
  
"Yup, that's it, just wait until you see the inside! I've stayed the night here before, by myself of coarse." He told her as he made his way up the side steps and reached for the knob.  
  
Zack let go of Aeris's hand and held to the knob with it as he flipped the key so it'd go inside the hole in it. After turning it, he pushed the door open and reached to the side for the switch.  
  
The lights suddenly flashed on and Aeris's mouth dropped slowly and a gasp escaped her lips as she looked to see that it was even more majestic and well put together then Cid's home was. After he closed the door behind him, Aeris looked to see the contents inside, her face locked in shock at everything she saw as she made her way around the room.  
  
It's crystal windows and glass china that filled around the rooms. Leather couches were to her right and a bright clean white kitchen was on her left. In front of her was a deeply brown polished oak door that matched the wooden shiny oak walls.  
  
Zack walked with her over to it and quickly turned the knob of that door, swinging it open to reveal a room that was almost exactly like the hotel room they were in, only the sheets were a loving bright red and it had a two oak dressers to each of the sides of the bed and a deep black carpet flooded the floor, giving it a beautiful texture.  
  
He then came up behind her and slipped his hands onto her waist, leaned over gently and began kissing her neck gently.  
  
Aeris smiled a bit and placed her hands over his, leaned back a little bit and closed her eyes.  
  
He then slipped them in front of her stomach and started to pull the buttons from her dress apart. She quickly lifted her hands and gripped his, straightened herself up and shook her head at him smiling.  
  
"We have to go to dinner, remember?" She told him softly as she turned to face him.  
  
"Ah, we can't have a bit of fun for, like, ten minutes?" He whined playful as he tried to pull from her grip but she only tightened it shaking her head at him.  
  
"Well, no, it would be shorter then that, we wouldn't even be half undressed by the time we have to go." She told him gently and he sighed as he finally gave up and let go of her.  
  
"Well. there's always. after dinner." He softly told her as snatched his bag from her hand and took it over to bed. He pushed down the straps to his pants off his shoulders and yanked his shirt over his head and through it to the ground.  
  
"Yeah, but you're probably going to be to tired." She told him as she walked over and sat on the other side of the bed and started to button the rest of her dress.  
  
"You'd be surprised." He told her as he pushed his pants the ground after flipping off his shoes and socks and pulled out the blue jeans from the bag and slipped them on quickly and then reached for his shirt.  
  
"Hmm is that so?" She asked him as she pulled her wet red jacket back and then slipped the dress from her shoulders. As she reached into the bag she slightly giggled at the clothes that Shera had given her. As she slipped on the bright red shirt and pulled on the jeans she noticed they were both very tight fitting.  
  
"Yup, that's so." He told her as he reached inside the bag and pulled out the tennis shoes and brand new socks. He sat back to back with Aeris now as he pulled them one and tied his shoes. Aeris had fixed all her clothes on now and as she lifted her hands to her hair she noticed it was still soaked from their daring plane ride earlier. Zack turned to her and his eyes lit up as he watched her stand up and pull the wet bow from her hair and flick it to the floor.  
  
"Damn." He slipped out as he watched her ass as she walked away towards the back bathroom.  
  
As she shut the door to fix her hair and other stuff, he turned to look at himself, hoping the white shirt looked just as good on him. He knew he had to do something to get her with him tonight now that he'd seen her like that.  
  
He sat there for a moment as he pulled his knees up to his face and leaned into his opened hands, looking to the floor in deep thought.  
  
As the door to the bathroom swung open, he turned to face her, now with her hair dried and unbraided. It was flowing straight back behind her. She smiled and giggled at him as his mouth dropped in disbelief. Aeris then smirked at his own looks as he stood up and walked over to her, examining her looks. She wore no make-up but looked much more beautiful without it to him. Her tight red V shirt really caught his attention though. It was cut to deep into her chest, probably half way he guessed.  
  
"Wow." Was all he could say as he opened up his mouth to speak and she chuckled at him again as he pulled her to him in a tight embrace. Looking over her shoulder he noticed she seemed to have all the perfect curves dressed like that. He knew Cid would probably get a kick out of what she looked like as well and then he suddenly had an idea.  
  
He looked to the ceiling mouthing the words "Thank you." Towards them with a wide smile spread across his face in a devilish way.  
  
Soon they pulled away and Zack wrapped his right arm around Aeris, pulling her with him out of the apartment's door.  
  
A cool breeze rushed over both of them as they stepped outside into the deep black night sky flooded around them. Aeris watched as the stars softly glimmered around them and Zack looked to see where the restaurant was.  
  
"Hey, we're suppose to go over there." He told her as he reached over and pointed towards the door smiling behind her.  
  
"Ok, lets go then, Cid's going to be mad if we're late." She quickly told him as she started off and reached out, grabbing Zack's hand that was once at her side and yanked him down the stairs with her towards the restaurant's door.  
  
Zack reached out as he stumbled clumsily with her and reached out to the handle. Gripping it tightly he calmly pulled it open and noticed that a man and a young beautiful looking woman were standing to the side.  
  
"Hey!! We've been sitting here for like fifteen minutes now!" The man yelled and both Aeris and Zack quickly recognized that it was Cid and Shera. He was dressed in much cleaner blue jeans this time, his hair wasn't untidy anymore, it was instead combed to the sides like a rich person would have down to his hair and he worn a deep navy blue shirt on top that was collared with a lighter fabric.  
  
Shera didn't look like herself at all. Instead of her white lab coat, she wore her beautiful velvet royal blue dress that flowed to her ankles. She wore sandaled high-heeled shoes and her hair was pulled back behind her head. She had quickly gave it several crimps though because it looked very wave. She reached over and gripped most of it and pulled it over her left shoulder though and looked to the floor blushing at what she was wearing.  
  
"We would have been quicker if she hadn't taken her time actually." He told them as he looked to Shera rolling his eyes at her playfully, but chuckled to himself as he made his remark.  
  
"S- Sorry. I'm not use to wearing these kind of things." She explained quickly not lifting her gaze from the floor and Cid shook his head and then looked to Zack then to Aeris and back to Zack again, giving him a curious look.  
  
"So umm. what took you two so long? Hmm?" He asked with a smirk on his expression as he narrowed his eyes on Zack.  
  
"Oh umm, nothing, we just got changed and Aeris fixed her hair." Zack told him and Cid shrugged at him looking to the ceiling.  
  
"Mmm hmm. well whatever, let's get a table." He told them as he reached over and tapped Lucrecia so she'd follow him as he made his way towards the counter.  
  
"How many sir?" The man behind the counter asked calmly.  
  
"Four." He told him as he looked back towards the others quickly.  
  
"Ah, yes, well, this way sir." The man quickly said as he reached over and grabbed four menus for them.  
  
All four of them started after the man towards a table that was placed in the middle of the room. Aeris and Zack quietly walked over to the chairs and pulled them out gently so they could each sit in them.  
  
The man came over to each of them and placed a white menu in front of each of them. After smiling to all of them, he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a thick white notepad.  
  
"So what you all have to start out with?" He asked calmly as he snatched a small sharp pencil from behind his head as he waited for their answers patiently.  
  
"Water will be fine." Aeris answered gently as she nodded to him and looked to Zack quickly.  
  
"Same," Cid told him and looked to Shera as she nodded her head in agreement and then they all looked to Zack.  
  
"Same as them." He quickly answered looking nervously around the room, which caught Aeris's eye quickly.  
  
"Very good." The servant man told them as he finished writing up their waters and then turned towards the kitchen to fetch them.  
  
"What's wrong?" Aeris whispered to Zack as she watched him silently shake, seeming to be very nervous now.  
  
"Umm. nothing, I'll be right back." He quickly told her as he pushed back the chair and stood. After pushing it back in, he started after the waiter and Aeris looked to the table in shame thinking she had done something wrong.  
  
Cid watched as Aeris took in a deep sigh and stared down at the white-laced tablecloth in shame.  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong, Aeris." He softly explained to her as Shera reached over to her side since Aeris was sitting next to her and placed her hand gently on her shoulder in comfort.  
  
"I'll go see what he's up to." He told her, smiling gently to her and chuckled a bit at her.  
  
"Who knows, he may just have to use the can or something." He joked as he pushed his chair back and started after Zack after sliding his chair back in carefully.  
  
He made his way towards him pacing himself, as Zack chased after their waiter. Then he stopped as he saw Zack reach out and tap the man gently on the shoulder and then slightly whisper something into his ear.  
  
Cid listened in hard to hear what they were talking about and a smile washed across the waiter's face as Zack continued to tell him what he wanted.  
  
"Hey.umm. you know that girl I'm with? The one with the red shirt, do me a bit of a favor and you know. kind of slip a drink into her water, I don't want her to be tired tonight, if you know what I mean." Zack explained as he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a flask that he had in there for the longest time.  
  
"Here, put this in it, just make sure, you give it to her only, I don't need it and the other two are fine without it." He finished up and the waiter lifted his hands and took the flask from them filled with the drink that Zack had stored away and then headed off towards the kitchen to get their drinks.  
  
Satisfied, Zack then turned around and started back but stopped as he spotted Cid behind him. He quickly looked around nervously and Cid let out a light chuckle to him and shook his head gently.  
  
"Well. I didn't expect that from a person like you, seems like you got some man in you after all under all that skin." Cid told him playfully as he went over to Zack's side and tapped him gently against the shoulder.  
  
"So what kind of drink did you have in there?" He asked as he circled him and then met eye to eye.  
  
"Well it was. uh. a bit of Vodka. don't tell Aeris, please!" Zack begged after he burst out his answer to Cid.  
  
All Cid could do was laugh harder as he heard Zack tell him what he had planned to have spiked in her drink and then he lowered and shook his head again.  
  
"I won't tell her, as long as you promise to make sure that she absolutely doesn't go mad and then suddenly have to get sick. It's a real pain in the ass when you're fucking real hard and then just have to puke." Cid joked as he started to turn and head back to the table. Zack started after him as Cid through his arm in front of him as a signal to follow after taking one last look behind him to scan for their waiter.  
  
As they reached the table and retook their seats, Shera suddenly spoke up looking to each of them carefully.  
  
"Well. you guys weren't here so we ordered for you, I hope you don't mind." She informed them and then both Cid and Zack nodded in agreement that it was all right.  
  
Aeris was silent with her hands gently laid out on the white-laced table in front of her, Zack reached out and sweep his hand over hers and then grasped it from it's back in comfort for her.  
  
Quickly in surprise, Aeris looked up at him and he kissed her gently from the corner of the table in front of the other two and then smiled at her calmly.  
  
"You ok?" He asked gently as he watched her grand emerald eyes start to glow again in happiness.  
  
"Yes, of coarse, never better." She said swiftly to him as she smiled back and then lifted her other hand, and placed it over his.  
  
Soon afterwards they were interrupted by the waiters return. He had another man beside him, holding a large plate up with his right hand as he walked towards the other side of the table. Their regular waiter looked to Zack as he lifted one of the glasses of water and winked at him quickly before placing it down gently in front of Aeris.  
  
Zack could see the bubbles of the thick alcoholic drink swarming around the bottom and trying to take over the top and then he looked back up at the waiter and nodded to him in appreciation of what he was doing.  
  
Soon the other waiter started placing down the plates of food before them as well, filled each with the same, steak and potatoes. Zack considered this his favorite and tried to refrain from drooling for he just wanted to dive right into his plate and devour it into his stomach. He hadn't had a decent meal in weeks and this was too much for him now.  
  
Aeris softly giggled as she watched Zack's reaction to his dinner and then looked to see the other two were already starting to chop up their steaks and eat their tiny pieces.  
  
"You can eat now." Aeris told him playfully as she poked him gently with her fork to get his attention.  
  
"Oh uhh yeah, ok cool" He quickly told her as he lifted his knife and twirled it between his middle, pointer and thumb. He then slammed his fist gently on the front of the fork, making it jump up and twirl as well in mid- air and caught it with his other free hand to show off.  
  
Aeris softly laughed at his foolishness and then reached out to her water and brought it to her lips. Cid caught her out of the corner of his eyes as she started to try and take a sip from the glass and smirked as she started swallowing the cool liquid.  
  
Quickly noticing what he was doing, Aeris turned to face him and he swiftly turned his head to his plate and started eating again. Shrugging off what had just happened, she then started to eat herself, as well as started feeling light headed.  
  
Zack watched as she dazed a bit and nearly fell over a few times and then wondered how much Vodka had been placed in her water. He might have even killed her, he wasn't sure; he just knew that she was either dying or officially drunk.  
  
"You ok?" He asked and she looked up from her food with a huge smile now spread as her expression and dimmed eyes like she was ready for anything.  
  
"Yup! Just fine!" She yelled and then a hic-up escaped her mouth. After slowly thinking about it, she lifted her hand to her mouth as she jumped and another one emerged from her throat.  
  
She lifted her glass then and chugged the rest down, bits of what didn't go passed her lips steamed down the sides of her neck and Zack sat there wide eyed and amazed as he licked his lips at her as he watched and Cid quickly caught site of him staring at her relentlessly.  
  
"Well umm. you guys done?" He asked quickly, raising his hand to the back of the chair ready to get up.  
  
"Hmm? Oh umm yeah, ok." Zack told him as fast as he could as he continued to watch Aeris, not breaking his glance from her, for even a second.  
  
"Well then umm. lets go then." Cid told them all as he reached inside his blue-jeans pocket and grabbed several pieces of gil and lifted it towards the center of the table. After dropping it in the middle as a rather large tip he stood, and Shera followed his motions.  
  
They watched as Zack didn't seem to move and Aeris continued to chug the final drops down her throat.  
  
"Come on." Cid beckoned as Aeris lifted her napkin and started wiping away what remained of the water with vodka from her cheeks after placing the glass back down.  
  
Zack soon after stood and walked over behind Aeris and lifted her up gently from her seat, only to have her fall forward onto his chest in dizziness.  
  
Shera stared curiously at the two as Zack then started to lead her after them and towards the door. Cid stopped and turned to both Zack and Aeris before they pushed the glassed doors out though and winked to Zack and spoke.  
  
"Well, we'll be seeing you then, probably in the morning bout. hmmm. say bout noon? Does that sound good enough for you two?" He asked as Aeris stumbled again at them and fell back against the wall to rest.  
  
"Better make it 1pm." Zack told him swiftly as he reached over and pulled Aeris over to his side so he could balance her.  
  
"Alright then. sound good to me." Cid quickly agreed and then moved out of the way of the door to let Zack and Aeris pass through and head back to their hotel and then he and Shera followed afterwards.  
  
As they reached their own hotel, Cid stopped as Shera lifted her hand to his shoulder and looked to him strangely as she spoke.  
  
"Did Aeris seem a bit, well, not like herself to you?" She asked calmly hoping he would know what was going on.  
  
"Well, that would be Zack's fault. That wild boy couldn't contain himself so he had the water slip vodka into her water." Cid told her, chuckling under his breath as his thoughts started to swarm his mind about what he had just said. Shera's eyes widened in surprised as Cid finally opened the door to their room and then walked inside, locking it behind them as Zack and Aeris continued to make their way towards their own hotel. 


	24. Broken Dreams

Chapter 24: Broken Dreams  
  
  
  
Aeris giggled to herself as she was pulled along and up the narrow hallway of stairs by Zack quickly, to full on the small amount of alcohol he had given her shortly before. As he reached the door to his room, he quickly yanked her forward so she'd hit the wall in front of him, next to the doorframe. With a wide smile spread across his face, he swiftly pushed himself against her, breathing heavily after each kiss he captured from her lips.  
  
They had so much time, and it had been going so much better that day that they didn't seem to have to worry about anything anymore, he knew he could give her everything this time, and she would surely last much longer awake with the vodka that he snuck into her water earlier.  
  
He slipped his tongue in between her parted lips and pushed himself harder against her, gripping her shoulders tightly with his gloved hands as she raised her own to his face pushed back forcefully.  
  
He regretting then released his tightly gripped hand from her shoulder and quickly dug it deep into his pocket, gripping the room key that was laying gently at the bottom and then tried hard to find the keyhole that it belonged to. He hit the sides of the knob a couple times before he hit the hole, and the key gently slid through and he quickly turned it and then kicked the door open.  
  
Zack let his other hand then leave her shoulder and then drop to her hand. His lips left hers, but his smile still remained as he moved himself into the room, tugging her in with him and then kicked the door back closed after yanking the keys from their hole.  
  
Tossing them on the floor, he then lifted Aeris and through her back against the nearby red covered bed, not caring what the room looked like and pushed himself against her again with the same amount of force as before, gently slipping his hands up her brand newly bought bright red shirt.  
  
Aeris tried to lift herself so he could at least pull it the slightest bit off but he refused to let her sit up, as he pulled his hands back out from under it. He quickly then skidded them up on the top of it until he reached the bottom tip of the V shaped cut.  
  
Instead of letting her take it off gently, he slid his fingers on the side and began to tear it down the center. Zack didn't care what she'd wear later, he'd worry bout it in the morning he thought as he yanked the last piece of her shirt apart and placed his hands back at her shoulders. He calmly and slowly then began to tear out the sides of the fabric on the shoulder pieces so that he could easily keep it off without having to ruin the moment by breaking their kiss to pull it off.  
  
Aeris skidded her hands down the front of his own shirt trying to decide whether or not to do the same but thinking wasn't her style at the moment, especially since she was completely blocked by it from the vodka that coarse it way through her veins, taking all the thoughts from her mind, one after another to ease her stress.  
  
Zack felt her tender touch against him and noticed her hesitation as she gripped the sides of his neckline on his white T-shirt.  
  
He lifted her slightly upwards as he sat up with her in his arms. Finally he broke their long passionate kiss and looked across at her as she slowly opened her large glowing emeralds eyes, noticing the fire that burned in them as he slightly moved himself towards her again, tilting his head gently and forcing another longing kiss against her lips. He fell back softly with her laying against him on the opposite side of the bed.  
  
Suddenly, Aeris's grip on his shirt tighten and she quickly pulled it apart down the center, with her warm lips leaving his, and creasing down the sides of his cheek towards his neck as she pulled away the last thread of his cotton shirt. Zack lifted his hands to her, sliding them under her arms, holding her to him tightly.  
  
Aeris let a soft moan escape her lips as he lifted her again so she was sitting up now.  
  
Her lips still creased the sides of his neck forcefully and he skidded his hands down her sides and skimmed the inside of her blue jeans as they finally reached the seam of it.  
  
He drove them towards the buttons in the center and gently twisted it so it'd slip through the small thin fabric slot and become undone.  
  
Zack yanked down the zipper quickly as he slid them down her thighs quickly and pulled them from under her. Carefully, he laid her back and gently lifted his hands to her hair and calmly began running his fingers through it even though it was pulled up tight in a ponytail.  
  
Aeris wasn't thinking still though, the vodka had gone straight to her head for sure now, and she wasn't planning on playing any of this slowly.  
  
Quickly, she shot up and yanked the ponytail out of her hair and shook her head swiftly to untangle it and let it fall back behind her loosely. Forcefully then, she slammed Zack back against the soft covers quickly.  
  
Zack's eyes widened at Aeris sudden approach and he let out a heavy breath before she leaned over and gripped his sides tightly and pressed her lips against his bare chest.  
  
She kissed forcefully against it, making her way up to his neck and then around his muscle lines, as Zack lied there, helplessly.  
  
Slowly, Zack lifted his hands to her back and trailed his fingers from the seam of her panties up on her spine, to the center of her thin tan- like bra-strap. Aeris felt his tingling touch against her pale soft flesh and lifted her right hand placing it over his as she lifted her head to face him. A sly smile spread across her face as she looked to him and he lifted an eye brow to her curiously as he watched her lift his hand from her back before he could unsnap it and then shake her head at him slowly while sticking her tongue out at him.  
  
"Hey, come on." He told her as he chuckled and he placed his hands out beside her and then curled his fingers towards him to signal her to come closer to him.  
  
Aeris gracefully lifted her hands to his stomach and used it as a balancer as she sat up and strattled herself over his waist. He began to laugh at her as she kicked off her shoes and then yanked his off and through them both to the floor but she quickly stopped him by taking her pointer finger on her right hand to his lips and then pulled it back to her own. He quieted himself and then watched her carefully as she lowered her head to the side of his neck and started to forcefully kiss it while scrapping her pearly white teeth, teasingly against his skin.  
  
He cringed slightly as he felt her gently bite him and he tightened his grip around her.  
  
"Hey." He started as she bit him again. She looked up at him giggling to herself and he slid his hands down to her hips and started to slowly pull her panties from her under her, but she quickly stopped him and looked up and around her.  
  
Confused, Zack pulled his one hand free from hers and lifted it to her face. He placed it gently on her cheek and pulled her gaze down to him.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked as he tried to pull her eyes to him, but she held a firm grip on her focus.  
  
"Something." She whispered as she lifted her hands to his cheek and then pulled her lips over his mouth as he opened it to speak again.  
  
"Shh. something's there." She whispered as he finally noticed her gaze was on the nearby window.  
  
As her eyes lit up quickly, Zack noticed and swiftly shot his gaze from her to the window again and saw something in nearly a pitch-black robe vanish from the corner of his eye towards the main door.  
  
Zack lowered his hand to hers on his lips and pulled them away slowly, setting them to the side of his face and then lifted himself up, pushing her up with him.  
  
Carefully, Aeris wrapped her arms around Zack's neck and her legs around his waist for protection as he wrapped his own around her tender body.  
  
"It's ok, Aeris. Whatever it was is gone, and I can bet it was just a tourist coming in late from a ship." He told her in comfort as he held her and then slowly pulled back so he could gaze at her calmingly.  
  
"It's ok." He whispered again as he leaned forward to capture a kiss from her lips while she came towards his own.  
  
A sudden crash from the window interrupted them though, the shards spilling everywhere around them as the cold ocean wind poured through and surrounded their stripped body's.  
  
He held to her tightly though and pulled her head down so it would rest against his chest, to protect her as he pulled his left hand from her and grabbed the now wrinkled blanket from below him and yanked it from beneath them. Zack swirled it upwards and it wrapped around them quickly, repelling the last shards of the glass that shot at them.  
  
Aeris's vodka had begun to wear off now, and she finally could focus on everything that was happening. The dim light that was around them from the now shattered window aloud her to peer through the blanket's thin coverings to see a man sneering at them angrily.  
  
"He's still here." She whispered to Zack and he raised his hand to stroke her hair gently trying to stay completely still.  
  
The man still watched them carefully as Zack held her and she continued to stare back into his cold angry eyes, to scared to release her gaze.  
  
Cautiously then, the man began to move out of sight from her eyes until his last bit of cloak vanished. Aeris swallowed fierce fully then, taking a few seconds to secure herself that he was gone before she began to push herself up out of Zack's tight grasp. He turned to face the window and noticed the man was gone as well. The glass was spilled all around them, over their loosely thrown clothes on the floor and some laid quietly on the edge of their blanket that had been recently been repelled by it.  
  
Zack looked to Aeris briefly before looking to the side of the bed where his large Buster Sword laid gently on the ground before them. He let go of Aeris carefully first, laying her back softly against the pillows with the blanket still over her and then reached over to grab his sword.  
  
Her eyes were still locked onto the window though in fear, as if she knew he would return. Zack's fingers finally brushed against the handle of his sword when he heard a soft familiar click behind him. He swallowed in deeply as he closed his eyes slowly for a moment, refusing to move a muscle.  
  
Aeris's heavy frighten breathing quickened and he knew that she saw what he knew was their now beside them, in the shadows. Soft footsteps came towards them, snapping against the shattered glass that they passed over and crushed as he continued to move towards them.  
  
"Aeris." He whispered gently and she watched him as he trailed across the floor like a ghost towards Zack's bent body.  
  
She pulled the blanket up to her chest, hugging her arms tightly to her as she sat there, completely pale and shuddering.  
  
The man then suddenly stopped and looked to her again, turning it's coarse towards her again, away from Zack. She remained still though as he approached her and looked down upon her. His black hood that was attached to his jet-black robe though covered over his head, and the shadows within it, made it impossible to see into for a face.  
  
"Long time." He whispered as he got to her side and looked down upon her. Zack moved slightly a bit lower and slid his fingers under the sword then and slowly began to tilt it so it would reflect like a mirror what was happening behind him to Aeris.  
  
He watched in horror as the man dipped down so his faced reached hers and moved towards her. Her eyes lit up greatly as he began to make himself go closer to her face, seeming to want to kiss her and just as she felt his lips gently brush against her own, Zack gripped his sword's handle tightly and swung upwards at the man, as he quickly shoved it between the two before he could go farther.  
  
Aeris took in a great sigh of relief and the man began to chuckle to himself as he slowly started to back away from Zack's sword's blade.  
  
Zack moved himself so he could pull Aeris into his arms away from the other's reach and wrapped his hands around his sword's handle tightly once more.  
  
His laugh was cold and unsoundly, as it started up in a soft tone but began to grow within volume. Aeris knew now that it was who she feared it to be as he laughed. It was to familiar, and it could not be anyone else no matter how much she wanted to believe it was.  
  
"Zack. you have betrayed me again." He then began, as he stopped his insane laughter and stood still, looking to be now quite powerful.  
  
"I did not betray you...Dyne.." He whispered and Aeris cringed at the name as she lied within his protecting arms.  
  
The man lifted his hood and drew it back to show the wounded face of Dyne.  
  
"Yes. you did. you let that bitch do this to me!" He screamed as he pulled his robe out of the way to show the large blood wound in his stomach from her past lightning bolt and then he quickly covered it back up as he began to speak again.  
  
"And then you go and fuck her again!?!? You son of a bitch!" He hollered as he shot his right arm up and pointed it at Zack's head and then slowly started to move it to aim at Aeris's forehead.  
  
"DYNE!" Zack suddenly screamed as he started to feel his cold heart and thoughts around him. He knew what he would do now and he quickly brought his gun blade up in front of him as Dyne blasted the bullet from his mounted gun at her.  
  
It quickly reflected off of the cold steel and Dyne glared evilly at them both in the moon light that poured into the room from the broken window.  
  
"What are you doing?!!?" Zack shouted as he pulled the blade from his eyes to see Dyne still standing there still, glaring at them both with the same blank, and cold expression.  
  
"You will not live this time." Dyne mumbled to them as he raised his left hand up from his robe.  
  
"I finally know the secrets that dwell within her! And I will have her powers!" He shouted as a blinding white light exploded from Dyne's lifted hand and began shooting towards them as, at first, icy cold wind, but soon transformed themselves into razor sharp spikes of death that hurtled towards them.  
  
Zack swiftly placed his sword up in front of them again to block them off but the power of them as they reflected off pushed him from the bed and into the floor onto the opposite side of Dyne.  
  
He chuckled to himself for a moment, watching Zack squirm so he could get up again but quickly afterwards stopped and lowered his hand back to his side.  
  
Zack finally stood up, looking to him fiercely as Aeris remained on the glass filled floor, wrapped in the blanket in protection from them as he watched Dyne carefully.  
  
"Fools. If I cannot have her power, another will come for it." Dyne whispered and his voice began to deepen but lighten as if his words were spoken through a ghost. Aeris then had a sudden thought and reached over towards her jeans that lied closely nearby her and shoved her hand into its fabric pocket, searching for something.  
  
"What are you talking about, Dyne?" Zack asked, looking very confused now as he stood there in only his boxers, holding his sword up in defense.  
  
"If I cannot have her power, another will come for it! Don't you see! We must have her, to take her power would mean being able to become like gods!" Dyne babbled on about.  
  
"What the hell, Dyne?! She doesn't have any powers remember! Those things just happened because she was held up in all that mako!" Zack screamed and Dyne began to chuckle at him.  
  
"Mako? MAKO!? HA! You don't remember the first time we met her!? When the Ultimate Weapon came and attacked the village!? She created a barrier, no. a wall! She created a wall with her own hands within mere seconds out of MAGIC! Yes, magic! She made it and stopped herself from becoming hurt! She has powers that neither of us can possibly imagine!" Dyne continued on about and Aeris frantically began searching for what she needed now as Dyne began to move around the bed's edge towards her and Zack now.  
  
"If she had such powers and knew how to use them, then why hasn't she casted a spell on you then yet?" Zack demanded to know as he firmly began to focus his sight on Dyne now.  
  
"She smacked her head! Remember! She hit it and fell into the lifestream as well! You, of all people, should know those things are both very damaging to the brain and memory bank to it!" Dyne quickly told him as he continued to make his way over.  
  
"But now. since you are still refusing to help me. you will die too." Dyne whispered as he pulled his gun up so it aimed at Zack's stomach now, but as he was about to pull the trigger, Aeris jumped up with a bottle filled with green liquid in her hands. She quickly yanked the top cork off with her teeth and through the bottle at Dyne.  
  
"AHHH!!!" He screamed as the bottle struck the ground at his feet and exploded around him, sending pieces of each droplet on his body.  
  
"Aeris. what is that?" Zack whispered as he continued to watch Dyne become helpless and then fall into the floor below with a sicken thud. He then slowly began to fade as he laid there on the carpeted ground, smelling extremely foul now as they watched him and then Aeris looked up at Zack.  
  
"Potion. a Hi-Potion that is." Aeris whispered as she fell over into Zack's arms, holding him tightly. Zack reached over and wrapped his arms around her as well, still confused on what Dyne had told him about another coming for her and stroked her hair comforting.  
  
"But wouldn't that have cured him.?" He asked gently as he let her go gently and reached over to the blanket on the floor and lifted it, shaking off all the broken glass from its side and then placed it back on top of the bed.  
  
"He is. not alive. he was. an undead." She told him gently as he turned to her noticing the smell was starting to cease around them.  
  
"How can that be?" Zack asked cautiously as he turned to face where Dyne had fallen and finally died off and he noticed that his robe had faded away as well along with Dyne's.  
  
"I.I don't know." She told him softly as he lifted her and placed her back gently against the pillows and then placed himself beside her, wrapping his arms calmly around her waist, still very confused about what Dyne had spoken.  
  
".It's alright now. it's alright." He repeated to her as he gently lifted his hand to the side of her head and stroked the side of her cheek with the back of his hand, holding to her tightly with his other.  
  
Aeris didn't want to upset Zack anymore then he was right then with her own questions that started to riddle through her mine and started to drift off into a dreamless sleep, quickly followed by Zack, as they both began to wish, that this was all a nightmare, and maybe they would wake up to the real world, the next morning. 


	25. Awaken Nightmares

Chapter 25: Awaken Nightmares  
  
  
  
A gentle knocking could be heard against the door and it aroused Zack from his sleep. It still remained dark though and he looked around the room as he calmly sat up. He slowly began pulling his arm from around Aeris's waist, trying not to wake her as he moved. As his fingertips left her soft skinned side, she took in a deep breath and then went back into her peaceful sleep. As he glanced around the room, he noticed the glass that littered the floor still beneath them.  
  
Taking in a deep sigh of grief, his attention was once again drawn to the door as another knock was sounded to him, along with a voice.  
  
"Aeris? Zack? You two ok in there?" It asked and Zack almost at once recognized who it was.  
  
"Cid? Hold on! I'll be there in a second!" He shouted.  
  
"Are you two ok?!" Cid shouted again, seeming not to notice that Zack spoke up.  
  
"Depends on what you mean." Zack answered as he reached over and grabbed his deep violet pants and quickly slipped them on while attempting to reach for his shoes as he fastened the belt buckle to hold them to his waist.  
  
Aeris began to stir again, moving her right hand to her stomach to seek his own hand that she could not find. So instead, she pulled the blanket that was wrapped loosely around her, closer to her in comfort, believing it to be him.  
  
He looked to her for a moment, as she stirred but she then began to calm herself and he turned his focus back to the door as he slipped his shoes on quickly.  
  
Carefully he sat up from the edge of his bed and began to make his way over to the door, trying hard not to crush any glass beneath him that might disturb her again.  
  
"Zack?!" Cid yelled again as he began to pound against the door once more but was quickly stopped by Zack as he swiftly grabbed, and twisted the knob as he swung open the door.  
  
"Shh! You'll wake her." Zack whispered to him and Cid looked around him as he continued to act as though he was still hitting the door for two more seconds.  
  
"Uhhh.. Sorry." Cid apologized as he quickly pulled his hand away to the back of his head and then looked to the ground in stupidity.  
  
"Eh.it's ok, but what do you want this late?" Zack quickly asked him, looking very confused.  
  
"Well, Shera and I heard a crash a little bit ago and we were wo-." He started but was suddenly interrupted by Zack.  
  
"A little bit ago?! It felt like a lot longer then that, no wonder Aeris is still restless." Zack explained partly which only deepen the questions within Cid's own head as he stared at him.  
  
"Oh? So you do know what happened?" He started again, waiting for Zack to explain himself.  
  
"Yeah.. umm.our window broke, that's all." Zack tried to tell him but fell silent, thinking it was best not to reveal anything more.  
  
"Your window broke? Then what the hell was that light from?!" Cid began, his voice climbing from a whisper now.  
  
"It was nothing, just the moonlight." Zack tried to cover up as he also tried to look away from Cid as he peered at him.  
  
"Moonlight my ass! There was something else here!" Cid yelled and Aeris gently sighed behind them, taking Zack's gaze back towards her, hoping she did not wake.  
  
"N- Nothing was here." Zack stuttered over his words as he continued to watch Aeris start to curl up on her side knowing she would wake up soon if he didn't get back to her quickly.  
  
"Mmm hmm. maybe we should ask Aeris then." Cid said sarcastically and Zack quickly turned to him waving his hands in front of him swiftly as he turned.  
  
"No, no, no! Let her sleep, you can ask her all you want la-." A sudden booming interrupted him and they both turned their gazes up near the ocean to see a large circle of water starting towards them. They were small waves but they kept coming, growing in size slightly.  
  
"What was that?" Cid asked, keeping his eyes locked on the sea.  
  
"I- I don't know. but. I don't think we should stay here any longer." Zack told him carefully as another large booming sounded around them again.  
  
"Naw! Not a single :skull::skull::skull::skull:er could scare me off!" Cid announced, chuckling to himself, trying to sound braver then what Zack knew he was.  
  
"Yeah right." Zack mumbled as he rolled his eyes. Cid glared at him for a moment, partly angered by him mocking him but jumped at a sudden earth-shattering scream that created a huge shock wave in the ocean in front of them.  
  
The waves began to grow much larger now, at least 10 feet high and then they washed over the streets below them. Zack stared down the steps that led up to his apartment and watched as the water began to raise itself up the first few steps. Cid turned to see how high the water was getting as well and quickly then turned to Zack.  
  
"Shit! Get Aeris and meet Shera and me by the plane! Make it fast!" Cid quickly commanded as he started to make his way down the stairs and headed towards his apartment nearby.  
  
The scream sounded again but started to die down into a roar now, shaking the ground beneath him slightly as it deepened. Swiftly, he turned and ran to Aeris's side, noticing she was starting to awaken now.  
  
"What is it? Why are you up?" She asked him curiously as she pushed herself up so she could see him better.  
  
"Here, put this on, quick!" He told her as he reached over and grabbed her rosy pink dress and tossed it on her lap that was still covered up with the blanket.  
  
"Huh? But it's so late." She tried to tell him, squinting her eyes through the darkness until they began to adjust.  
  
"Aeris. something's coming. we have to go or it might kill us." He told her as he reached over and grabbed her shoes and red short coat that laid on the floor still, swiftly shaking the glass off as he lifted them.  
  
Her eyes lit up quickly as she listened to his words and she rushed up and grabbed her pink dress and pulled the straps to it over her shoulders, trying not to rip it as she placed it on and started to button it downwards while Zack tossed her shoes and coat.  
  
He then began to go over and grab his sweater, ripping down his suspenders that were over his shoulder to keep his pants up, down so he could slip it over his head real quick and then he through them back up. Aeris was quickly tying her second shoe when an ear-piercing scream brought them both up to face their now broken window. But this scream wasn't from the monster, but instead from a woman in fear.  
  
"WEAPON!" She screamed and other started to join her. Zack ran over to the door and swung it open to see the people pouring out from their homes with as much as they could carry, trying to flee from the city as fast as possible. Aeris ran over and grabbed her staff, while Zack turned and got his thick silver sword beside it. He then placed it behind his back and grabbed Aeris's free hand, starting to run with the others.  
  
The children were being hulled over the parent's backs before them, as they ran so they could keep up. They cried as they all kept turning back to face the great beast before them. Zack and Aeris both turned and looked up at the familiar form of the beast, noticing the broken hand on it that they had caused.  
  
It's grand ruby eyes lit up as it reared its head back and let out a deepening roar that sent a shock away around them, toppling some of the people in front of them.  
  
"ZACK! AERIS! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Cid screamed from the porch of their hotel, searching the group of scurrying people for them, trying to yell loud enough over their panicked screams. Zack caught his voice and looked over to see them, Shera looking so pale that she might pass out at any moment, and Cid looked as though he was extremely pissed as he stood their very impatiently.  
  
He then turned and tried to pass through the people around him, pulling Aeris quickly behind him and then beside him to avoid the other running people.  
  
Cid looked down at them since they were the most noticeable ones, especially since they were running across the line of fleeing people instead of running with them, and his expression lifted, seeming to be very happy, but Shera's death face was still planted on her head and it didn't seem as if it was going to leave any time soon.  
  
"Cid!" Zack yelled over at him, as he reached the banister and pulled himself up it, tugging Aeris up with him, and placing her at his side as she took the first step up the shallow set of stairs to rid themselves of the dangerous fleeing crowd.  
  
"I know I know! We gotta get to the damn plane!" Cid screamed as he reached over and grabbed Shera by the hand and began dragging her down to Zack's and Aeris's level.  
  
"Then hurry up!" Aeris yelled as she reached out and grabbed Zack's arm as a passerby ran and smacked her, knocking her off balance. He quickly then turned to the others and then glanced up at the weapon as it reared it's head back in anger and screeched again.  
  
"Ok then! I'm going!" Cid yelled as he yanked Shera down and started running behind the crowd and Zack then turned away and began to follow after them.  
  
Aeris stumbled several times on the broken up road and the weapon started towards them, narrowing it's glowing eyes at them furiously. Aeris looked up and met the monster's gaze and suddenly it's eyes grew wide with recognition and it swiftly swung it's foot over the buildings in front of them and jabbed it in front of them, crushing several of the people in front of them. Blood spilled all over the coble from their broken bodies.  
  
Shera recoiled in horror as she stood before the beast's monstrous foot. Some of the surviving people beneath began thrashing furiously trying to escape but Cid and the others were too horrified to move at all.  
  
Aeris had never seen this much horror before and her eyes grew as her mouth dropped at the site of the bloody people.  
  
"H- help." One of them cried out, coughing up blood as he thrashed his arms out towards them, his legs were beneath the beast, perfectly flattened it seemed. Blood seeped out and stained his clothes as he continued to cough up several pints of blood and then he soon collapsed from the shock of the pain unto the ground, ready to die.  
  
"Z-Zack.Cid." Shera stuttered as she turned to face the Ultimate Weapon that was now kneeling down, peering at them angrily.  
  
Zack turned for a moment, meeting the beast's grand eyes and then quickly turned back around, pulling Aeris in front of him and held to her tightly trying to stay as perfectly still as he could to avoid any trouble with the monster.  
  
".SHIT!" Cid suddenly screamed as Zack watched his eyes grow large and then take off.  
  
Aeris gently turned her head to see from the corner of her eye that the weapon had his mouth hanging open, and was sucking in several tons of energy into it. It pulled on her and Zack and she could feel the force around then as Zack cringed and tried to hold his ground fiercely and shut his eyes tightly as he used all his strength to hold himself down and Aeris watched as she tried the same that Cid and Shera were trying to out run the fierce pull of the energy.  
  
"Don't run! Hold your ground!" Aeris shouted as she reached back and gripped Zack's arms tightly to help him stay still but it seemed that they weren't listening as they desperately tried to out run the powerful attack.  
  
Zack tightened his arms around Aeris as he bent forward to throw all his weight forward, pushing Aeris over as well and then they both dropped to their knees in exhaustion.  
  
He covered her body in protection with his own but he let go of her and drove his hands into the soil beside her, holding to the ground as much as he cold as he pushed his feet into the dirt to hold his balance as well.  
  
The wind whipped around them, pushing them back slightly as it began to grow in power.  
  
Cid and Shera continued to try and run but their efforts were failing because their energy was depleting quickly as they became out of breath as well, and they started to fall back in surrender to it's power.  
  
"NO!" Aeris shouted as she squinted over to them as the dust rushed over her body, smacking her in the face forcefully. She raised her right arm to her forehead trying to shield her eyes as she tried to open them a little more and then stared over at Cid and Shera.  
  
"JUST STAY PUT AND HOLD TIGHT!" She screamed as she bent herself over and grabbed the ground beneath her with her other hand and then dropped her right one into the soil beside Zack's. Cid still seemed to be ignoring them then he quickly drove his fist into his pocket and pulled out a small metal box.  
  
It looked to be one that held cigarettes within it but instead, when he flipped it open, there were several glowing buttons. Narrowing his eyes to see better, he slowly moved his shaking hand down to one of the green ones and pushed it while still running.  
  
"SHERA!" He screamed and she turned to face him slowly and he nodded to her. Shera's large white lab coat whipped back behind her, she was running a few feet farther then Cid was and when he nodded she completely gave up running and flew back into his arms. He caught and held her tightly and then stopped moving himself, allowing himself to be sucked in towards the beast. As Aeris and Zack continued to hold their ground there the faint sound of a propeller turned their attentions over towards the now sandy path that led out of the town.  
  
Zack lifted his head then to meet his gaze with the only hope they might have now and a small smile spread across his face. He then jumped to his feet and pulled Aeris up with him as Cid's plane came at them.  
  
Aeris raised her hand and pushed her hair out of her eyes as the plane neared them and her eyes widen noticing the propeller was right in their way and she quickly turned back to face Zack.  
  
"IT'S GONNA HIT US!" She screamed over all the commotion that was going around them and he shook his head at her and then lifted her up.  
  
The Weapon suddenly stopped pulling them in and Cid and Shera stopped inches from the beast's face. They skidded, bent over to touch the ground as a racer would and then pushed off from it and started towards Zack and Aeris.  
  
Zack then jumped to the side out of the way of the plane and dropped to his knees as the wing neared them.  
  
It passed over them quickly and then Zack swiftly shot himself up and tossed Aeris sideways into the plane's second row seat as he stood. Shera and Cid were still racing towards it, panic still locked on Shera's face as she reached over from the side and grabbed the side of the plane that was where her seat was suppose to be. Jumping sideways, she hopped into her seat and Zack jumped on the back wing of the plane as it came near him.  
  
Cid mimicked Shera's movements except he grabbed the control stick and yanked it back so the plane started to incline itself while he hung on the side. He then jumped on the wing as well and flipped himself into his seat.  
  
Zack remained on the back wing and Aeris began to panic more as she turned to face him and notice that the plane was beginning to go to steep for him to keep his balance. He had to kneel down and grip the end of the wing tightly with his gloved hands as the started to take off over the weapon's shoulder.  
  
Angered, it lifted it's sliced arm and swiped at them to knock them back down but missed severely and the plane continued to go up but Zack was beginning to look as though he couldn't hang on anymore.  
  
"CID, GO STRAIGHT!" Aeris screamed desperately but he didn't seem to be able to hear her as he continued to turn almost completely straight up and down.  
  
Without thinking Aeris let her staff drop in the seat and she got up, moving over the edge, pulling her right hand out in front of her to him, trying to get him to grab it but he wasn't planning on moving any of his hands away from the only safety he had left it seemed.  
  
"ZACK!" She yelled as she pushed herself more over the seat, with half of her body hanging back out of the plane but he still refused to move.  
  
"SIT DOWN!" He commanded her quickly as he shook his head at her, refusing her help.  
  
Ignoring him, she continued to try and grab his hand, inching closer to him as the plane tilted even more each second even though they were still not out of range of the beast.  
  
"DAMN IT I SAID SIT!" He screamed again shaking his head furiously at her and then his foot suddenly slipped and he then lost his grip.  
  
"ZACK!!!!" Aeris shouted desperately as she lunged forward and stepped on her staff, making her slip and fall head first down from the plane.  
  
Zack was thrashing as he began to fall back and he through his hand up and grabbed the end of the back wing with his right hand and then looked up to see Aeris was falling now.  
  
His eyes lit up as she began to fall passed him and at that he quickly through up his left hand and grabbed her right arm as she started pass him.  
  
She wrapped her right hand around his left arm tightly in fear as she dangled below and then through her left hand up to hold his same arm as well.  
  
Shera turned in her seat to check on Aeris but to her horror she saw no one sitting there. She began to frantically search for any sign of Aeris and then noticed the black glove on the back and as she leaned a little more forward she noticed it was Zack and his other arm was holding Aeris.  
  
"CID!! GO STRAIGHT!!! GO STRAIGHT!!" She begged as she turned back around and grabbed his arm, shaking it quickly.  
  
"I CAN'T!!! THE CONTROLS ARE STUCK!" He yelled back as he began to yank back on the lever as hard as he could to fix it. Shera reached over and wrapped her hands around the control with him and began to pull back hard, trying to unjam it from its spot but it didn't seem to budge.  
  
Zack's hand was slipping now from the heat of the engine and his energy was draining quickly as he tried to hold both himself and Aeris up to save them but it wasn't working at all. His muscle's ached as he strained them because of that night's events. The sky was still filled with stars as he looked up at it and took in a deep breath as the cold air rushed over them, pushing them away from their only means of surviving.  
  
Aeris' began to slip from his other hand, sliding down slowly and the weapon was staring up at them as if he knew they would soon fall into his grasp and it patiently awaited for the event to occur as it brought up it's foot from the smothered people below it and turned completely to look up at them.  
  
As it straightened itself it was plain to see that they could easily be swiped from the sky by it at any moment if it would only bring up it's large hand and swat them down like a fly.  
  
It sneered at them evilly now and raised its foot and then quickly jammed it through the ground below as it reared its head back and roared deeply. When it lifted it's foot though, a gentle familiar glow showed itself to them but Zack was to busy trying to hold on to notice it and he was slipping quick. Aeris felt the warmth of the lifestream wash over her.  
  
It seemed as if it was wanting to pull her below because she suddenly began to feel heavy and Zack was feeling the weight as well as he began to slip even more, now with only his finger tips hanging on.  
  
The demon of a creature continued to stare up at them though, starting to become impatient with them it seemed and jammed its foot into the ground next to the lifestream that gushed up from the ground below angrily now.  
  
"CID HURRY! WE NEED A CROW BAR!" Shera screamed as she let go of the lever and began to search her seat and the one behind her for any kind of tool to fix the lever.  
  
Zack suddenly knew he was about to drop so before his fingers slipped completely, he yanked Aeris up by his side in an attempt to at least get her to grab the side of the plane but he didn't place her high enough and his fingers finally lost their grip.  
  
"CID!!!!!!!" Shera screamed as she noticed Zack had let go of the plane and started to fall below towards the weapon.  
  
"HOLD ON! I- I A- AL- ALMOST GOT IT!" He yelled and then kicked the lever causing it to rear back and start to go straight.  
  
"THEY'RE GONE!" She yelled grabbing him by his blue jeaned jacket in a panic.  
  
Cid then quickly yanked the lever to the right and then through it forward to make it do a sharp turn and then dive.  
  
Zack held to Aeris as they fell looking to Cid as he came towards them but the weapon raised the one hand it had left and through it forward towards the two to crush them.  
  
Then, Zack raised Aeris into his arms so that she would at least land on her back on him and straightened himself as much as he could knowing he would probably be the one to die from the impact but at the same time, same her from very much damage.  
  
They both closed their eyes tightly as they prepared to, get saved, hit the ground or get smashed by the weapon.  
  
Aeris slowly opened her eyes though and noticed that the monster's foot was in the way and as it moved it, a warm pool of Life Stream remained. She felt fearful of what would happen though, but she knew she had no choice of what was to come so she braced herself, gripping to Zack's shirt tightly as he wrapped his arms tighter around her slender form.  
  
She ducked her head in against his chest and he pulled his in so his face rested on her chest and they suddenly struck the lifestream below as Cid swooped down, missing them by seconds. He quickly pulled up as a large seemingly splash pulled itself upwards and then washed off over the coble stone and ran itself into the sea.  
  
Cid curved off then, looking back to see if Aeris and Zack were out and running but they hadn't emerged from the life stream yet and he wondered if they would even make it out because of the mako poisoning that might get them.  
  
"NO!!!" Shera cried out as she watched them strike the liquid and get devoured within it, and they both began, fill with regret for leaving them their, to start towards the next town closes to them for help. 


	26. Disturbance Within Dreams

Chapter 26: Disturbance Within Dreams  
  
  
  
Slowly, Aeris twitched her hand, feeling it to be holding something while being surrounded by a thick substance that kept her from moving her hand anywhere else quickly. Her body seemed to fly within it because she couldn't feel the ground, nor could she feel anything rushing passed her as if she was falling.  
  
Carefully, she began to open her eyes to see nothing but blackness, but she could still feel the thing she was holding on to.  
  
She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Gradually though, screams began to fill her head. Desperate cries of help and pain filled screams surrounded her body, filling her to the point where she could scream herself. She tried to move her hands to her ears to block it out but the liquid she was in was to heavy to move under.  
  
"Help us!"  
  
"The WEAPON is coming for us!" They all screamed. Suddenly she felt something grip her arms but she couldn't feel as if she was being moved. Aeris once again opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't release anything but small bubbles that floated gently above her.  
  
"Don't be afraid." A soft voice told her, as the others started to vanish from her mind.  
  
"Why?" Aeris finally was able to say and suddenly her body became free from the weight above her. As she closed her eyes again to focus on what was going on around her.  
  
She felt herself drop below but softly on her knees, with her arms wrapped around the seeming to be person now. She took in a deep sigh of relief as she slowly opened her eyes looking to see the familiar clothes in front of her eyes. Smiling, she looked up to find Zack's face but her happiness turned to confusion as she met eyes with the man from before that she had confused for Zack the first time she met him.  
  
"Cloud." She whispered to him and he smiled as he nodded his head at her.  
  
"Don't be afraid. everything's going to be alright." He told her in comfort and she quickly shook her head and stood up on the dark wooden floor below her.  
  
"W- Where am I?" She quickly asked as she scanned the area for any sign of familiarity.  
  
"You're home." He told her as he got up as well, still looking to her lovingly.  
  
"You've been missing for quite sometime, but we found you." He told her as he reached out to hold her.  
  
Too much in shock she aloud him to come near her and wrap his arms tightly around her in comfort but it wasn't helping her at all.  
  
"We?" She asked as she stood there with her head lying softly on his chest, listening to his heart beat steadily.  
  
"Zack? Did Zack help you? Where is he?" She quickly asked as she let go of him and looked around.  
  
"Zack?" He asked, his expression changing from confusion to worry as he watched her desperately look around.  
  
"Aeris are you alright? We need to get you to bed now before you get worse." He told her quickly as he walked over and attempted to pick her up but she quickly pushed herself away from him.  
  
"Where's Zack?!" She demanded to know as she pushed herself back further from him in fear.  
  
"Zack. Aeris you really need to lie down, did you drink any of the water over in the Forgotten City before we found you?" He asked her looking really concerned now.  
  
"The Forgotten City?" She asked, confusion high within her voice as she spoke and his concern grew greater as he rushed at her and quickly scooped her up and ran into the next room.  
  
"You really need to rest!" He told her as he gently laid her back against the beds fluffed up white pillow.  
  
"Where's Zack!?" She screamed now, getting irritated that he wasn't listening to her.  
  
"We'll talk later, right now, rest." He told her as he lifted up a sheet from the front part of the bed and drew it over her softly.  
  
"Where's Shera and Cid!? Where's Zack?! Did they get away from the weapon?" She kept asking, not feeling even the slightest bit tired.  
  
"Cid? Shera? They're at their home, in Rocket Town, you know that. But what are you talking about a weapon for? They've all been destroyed. Don't you remember?" He asked her gently as he kneeled down on the side of the bed and placed his arms up on the side looking at her calmly.  
  
"Destroyed?! No, that's not right, I just saw one! Zack and I fell right passed it, and into that life stream. It only had one of its hands off because Zack sliced it off. It's still alive, nothing could destroy it!" She screamed as she pushed herself up only to have herself pushed back down by his strong muscular arm.  
  
"Aeris. I told you this before. Zack. he died. five years ago by Sephiroth's hand." He told her gently as he stroked to side of her face with the back of his hand to calm her.  
  
"Sephiroth? Who's he? And Zack can't be dead! I was with him a few minutes ago! Or. at least I think it was a few minute ago." She quickly informed him and he took in a deep breath and then shook his head at her.  
  
"Sephiroth. killed you too." He told her as he lifted himself and then sat himself next to her.  
  
"Killed me? Then why am I here?" She asked him looking around the room hoping to find something that might spark her memory even the slightest bit but nothing seemed to flow within her mind.  
  
"You came back to us after we killed Sephiroth." He told her as he leaned over to her taking in a deep sigh.  
  
"Came back to you? Then why didn't Zack? He has to be alive still!" She yelled and he lifted his hand to cup her cheek with it carefully.  
  
"Aeris. Sephiroth cut him down and he was pure mortal. you. you're an ancient. with a special gift that no one on this earth possess." He told her gently and a flash came to her mind.  
  
"You are an Ancient, the one who can help us find the promise land." A voice told her as she sat there and when it vanished she shook Cloud's hand away from her and climbed out of the bed she was in and then started out the door.  
  
Cloud quickly got up in a panic of what she might do and chased after her, catching her at the top of the top of the stairs, holding her back.  
  
"Aeris, calm down! You need rest! The others will be worried if you can't remember anything, you need to relax to regain your memory!" He cried out, holding her as she struggled to break free.  
  
"I don't need to regain my memory! I'm just fine! Let me go, I have to see Zack!" She screamed as she kicked back at his knees and knocked them backwards so he lost his balance and finally let her go.  
  
She stormed down the stairs quickly, and ran to the nearest door. She swung it open and ran through it to meet the bright cloudless morning sky.  
  
A young woman in a white sleeveless belly shirt quickly turned to her. Her candy red eyes lit up in happiness as she ran over to her, her long flowing black hair with a tie at the bottom flowing behind her.  
  
"Aeris!" She screamed as she hugged her tightly with her powerful arms.  
  
In a panic Aeris pushed her away and started to back up looking around desperately as she noticed several others were coming over to the sound of the woman's voice that called her name.  
  
"Aeris what's wrong? It's me, Tifa!" She told her as she stood there confusedly with the wind wrapping around her thin body, blowing her slightly baggy short black shorts closer to her.  
  
"Ti-fa? I don't know you." Aeris told her slowly as she began look around noticing the others were getting closer and then she quickly noticed a familiar face on her right.  
  
"CID! Help! Where's Zack?!" She screamed as she ran over to him, but stopped half way noticing how old he had gotten.  
  
"No.no.no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." She yelled as she began to back away from him, looking for a way to get away.  
  
"Zack!" She cried and Tifa looked to her in concern as Cloud exited to house and stood next to her and looked in surprise at Cid.  
  
"Hey! I thought you were with Shera at the house." He told him as he reached to the side of his head and pushed his hair back behind his ears and looked around at everyone else.  
  
"I was, but I got word from Barret that Aeris was back." He told him, his voice much more harsh and deeper from what Aeris had heard before.  
  
"Where's Zack!?" Aeris demanded to know, ignoring what Cloud had told her a little bit ago.  
  
"Zack. Aeris, he's been dead for years." Tifa told her starting to her but Aeris through up her hands up in front of her to stop her.  
  
"Stay back! I don't know who you people are, but Zack is not dead! He can't be! I was just with him!" She screamed as she finally spotted a place in the corner of her eye to run.  
  
Quickly turning to face the opening she sped off towards it to escape but Cloud screamed out as she turned.  
  
"Get her! She's not thinking straight, we need to get her to a doctor!" Cloud yelled and Tifa quickly took off from her spot and sped after Aeris as fast she could, pushing herself to her limits to catch her.  
  
"NO! Leave me alone!" Aeris begged as she tried to out run Tifa.  
  
"STOP!!!!!" Tifa screamed as she looked as if she was about to tackle Aeris over to get her to do as she demanded.  
  
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Aeris screamed as she clenched her fists together and placed them over her head as several screams filled her head and engulfed her entire body it seemed.  
  
A powerful wave of heat soon then began to rush over and she closed her eyes as they started to water.  
  
"STOP HER!" Cloud screamed again, but was quickly drown out by the constant screams for help that continued to surround her.  
  
Tifa suddenly stopped as she started to notice that Aeris was being to glow with an eerie golden light.  
  
Small sparkles started to emerge from around her as she ran with her hands over her ears and she gradually began to pick up speed as more of them began to fall from her body and then started to gather with the others in a tight circle around her slender form.  
  
Soon the light became extremely bright and the sparkles started to fly around her growing faster and thicker as they went. Suddenly struck her and exploded sending her at incredible speeds through the gap.  
  
The group of people gaped at her as they all watched her fly from their reach out of the town.  
  
"Wha- What. What happened?" Tifa asked as she stood more shocked then anyone since she was able to out run her.  
  
Another young woman stood there looking to them as she opened her chocolate brown eyes and lowered her hands to her side. Her green shorts swirled to the side with the wind. Her short deep brown hair gently flowed against the current as well as she tried not to catch anyone's attention. She raised her gloved hands and straightened out her tight fitting sleeveless shirt but Cloud noticed her trying not to look at them and quickly turned his attention to her.  
  
"Yuffie. Why'd you use haste on her." He asked gently trying to hold back his anger from her.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." She quickly told as she crossed her arms in front of her.  
  
"Yuffie. Don't piss with us." Cid told her as he started to approach but was stopped by Cloud's raised hand.  
  
"We know what you did. You can't hide it, but why did you do it?" Cloud demanded to know as he started to approach her instead.  
  
"Geez, let the girl have some time to herself. I'd have a nervous break down too if I was around you all day. She's just confused, let her do what she wants and come back when she's ready!" Yuffie cried out as she reached over to her side and picked up a conformer and started off slowly towards where Aeris had disappeared.  
  
Tifa watched angrily as Yuffie passed her, seeming to be anger as well. Tifa raised her fist to strike Yuffie in the back of the head but a seemingly young man from her right quickly raised his hand from under his deep red cloak that shrouded his body revealing a gun, with it's trigger closed around his fingers. He fired it quickly and it passed inches from Tifa's fist, stopping her instantly from her attack and she swiftly turned to him while Yuffie kept going ignoring the bullet that flew back behind her neck.  
  
"Why'd you stop me?!" Tifa quickly asked, her voice filled with fury as Yuffie continued on nearly out of sight now.  
  
"Why else.? She's right." He told her as he quietly slipped his gun back under his cloak to the side of his black baggy pants where the sheath hung awaiting him to place it back in.  
  
"What are you talking about Vincent?! She's not right. Aeris needs help and we're the only ones who can give it to her!" She shouted angrily at him and Cloud came to her, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.  
  
"Leave Aeris be for now, she'll be fine, she seems to know her defenses quite well and with Yuffie's haste on her, she'll be able to escape anything." He told her as he slid his hand from her and started after Yuffie carefully.  
  
"Or someone." Tifa mumbled as she took in a deep sigh of frustration and began to go after them as well, followed by the rest of their group.  
  
Aeris continued to speed off not understanding what was happening. She didn't want to believe Cloud's words about Zack hoping she'd be there instead.waiting for her somewhere nearby. He had fallen into the life stream along with her and she wanted to think he was only a little ways away.  
  
A sudden thought then struck her mind as she began to slow down. Cloud's words about finding her somewhere at a city. The Forgotten City. It was like a firecracker coming through her.  
  
Even though she knew that she didn't know where that place was, a deep impulse sent her running again with the wind, feeling as though she was being guided towards it without regret.  
  
Aeris knew there was only one way to go now and she would find her way there as she continued to run along the dirt road that was littered with debry in front of her as she continued. It didn't dare move as she passed each piece up but after a few seconds it shot off from the ground with the furious wind, following her as she went.  
  
Suddenly, she stopped.  
  
Looking around for a moment she then collapsed, her eyes rolling back in her head as she shut them, feeling as though something was piercing her body from behind her.  
  
Aeris grasped her stomach tightly as she curled her legs to her chest, cringing in severe pain as she shook violently, trying to shake it off. Her breaths began to grow shorter, and her lungs, more desperate for air.  
  
Slow steady walking came from behind her, slowly but determined footsteps. She gently tried with most of her energy then to turn her head to see who it could have been that was doing this to her but as she looked up she couldn't see, but she could tell it was a man. The sun's shadow around him covered his body, making it impossible to see what his face looked like, what he wore, or even what he was looking at.  
  
"Do not worry." He told her, as he reached down and stroked her hair away from her eyes seeming at first to want to be calming.  
  
"This will all be over soon." The man finished and with that, Aeris completely blacked out from the pain and laid helpless to the man before her. 


	27. Reunion or Fake?

Chapter 27: Reunion or fake?  
  
Slowly, Aeris gently opened her large emerald eyes but her vision was still blurred so she couldn't make out anything around her.  
  
To weak to even slide her arms to her waist, she laid sprawled across the cold floor.  
  
The silence was deathly, and a cold shiver ran through her body as she lied there quietly.  
  
She curled her fingers carefully to form a fist hoping it would help her move her to sit up but she still could not move an inch from her spot.  
  
Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness now, as she started to examine what she could see of the room. Trying to get as much as she could so she could know whether she was in danger or not, she slightly turned her head from side to side to get a better view.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, she started to slip her right hand steadily to her side, it shook in pain violently as it moved as well. She clenched her eyes shut to drown out the shock of each of her moments as it stung her as she then slowly began to pull her left hand back with her right.  
  
The room was nearly pitched back excepted for the dimly lit candles that gently glowed only in the corners. They were nearly worn down to their metal stands that they were placed in as well as looking to go out at any second.  
  
Painfully, she pushed herself to her knees and groaned as the blood began to surge back throughout her quickly now, causing her to become dizzy.  
  
A cold rush of wind suddenly washed over her followed by a loud creek to her right side.  
  
Cautiously, she twisted her head to face the source of the noise, her bangs draped over her eyes as she took in several deep breathes to steady herself.  
  
A bright white light emerged down the deep damp hall and Aeris squinted intensely to avoid from its emitting brightness but seemed to fail greatly. She leaned back and quickly placed her hands behind her before she could collapse back onto the floor.  
  
Aeris felt to out of breath and to stared to move but mustered up the strength that remained in her and began to pull herself to her feet, using the side of the wall as a banister.  
  
Stumbling a little, she then tried to make her way over to a bookshelf that she could barely make out.  
  
Soft footsteps began to echo behind her and she quickly began to pick up her pace and pretty much lunged at its side.  
  
Gripping it tightly she yanked her weak body toward it's back where a small opened crack was that she could barely get through. She collapsed breathlessly when she finally made it through and began to listen to the continuing footsteps against the hard wooden floor.  
  
Aeris continued to stay as silent as she could after the footsteps finally ceased but an eerie feeling came over her as she sat quietly.  
  
The person nearby had to be a man, as she listened to him groan and take in a deep sigh. She carefully continued to try and hear anything else to see if he was going to leave but the soft sound of footsteps did not return to comfort her.  
  
"Damn. Aeris where are you? I know there's no way outta this room so give it up already, please." he told her as he let loose another deep sigh.  
  
Her eyes grew with shock and her body began to gently shake in fear but she remained in her spot not daring to move.  
  
"Come on, you're only making it harder on yourself, and I don't want to find you, ok? Can't you even make out who I am?" he asked after releasing another long final sigh.  
  
Aeris sat quietly, thinking of what he meant and Zack's name rushed through her mind and she quickly jumped from her spot and rushed out from behind the shelf, lunging at him without thinking.  
  
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her slowly seeming to be confused and Aeris noticed how cold he felt.  
  
Quickly, she released him and backed away, stumbling tiring backwards in fear it was someone else she was holding but as she looked to him, she noticed it was Zack. Something came over her as if it was warning her that something wasn't right but she couldn't tell what.  
  
Carefully, she examined him and when her eyes met with his, she noticed that they were a much brighter blue then before. like Cloud's even. instead of his warm chocolate brown.  
  
Slowly, she stretched her delicate pale hand to the side of his face, starting to move a bit closer to him to make sure she wasn't seeing things.  
  
"What happened to you?" she asked gently as he raised his right hand from his side and placed it over hers.  
  
"The lifestream, it does this to everyone.." He told her calmly and she quickly turned her head back to a broken mirror that she had spotted earlier. As she looked she noticed her eyes were still their bright emerald green.  
  
"But mine haven't changed.." Aeris explained to him, confusion high in her voice.  
  
"Well, I've been exposed to this ever since I was placed in that tank by Hojo over in Niblehiem." He told her and it sent a shock through her body.  
  
Aeris never remembered that though Vincent and Dyne in that town were chasing all she could remember down.  
  
"What are you talking about? You were never in a tank.." She told Zack, her voice growing weak.  
  
"Yes I was, with Cloud." Zack informed her and her eyes started to grow wide with fear.  
  
"Wait. You told me you had no idea who Cloud even was before."  
  
"Wha? When did I ever say that? He was the only guy I could save after Sephiroth burned the city down.  
  
Aeris now became extremely confused, nothing was making sense anymore, she felt as if she didn't belong and he wasn't Zack to her.  
  
Carefully, she began to back away from him and he started to look hurt with each step she took.  
  
"Aeris.?"  
  
"Stay back! You're not Zack! Who are you?!" she demanded to know and he took one step towards her, holding out his arms to her.  
  
"I am Zack. Aeris, I'm alive, the Shinra never completely killed me."  
  
"Shinra? They weren't even at Costa Del Sol when the weapon attacked."  
  
"Weapon? But they've all been destroyed," he told her shouldn't very confused himself now.  
  
"No! You fell into the lifestream with me after the weapon attacked! If you can't remember that, then you're not Zack! At least not the one that I know!" Aeris screamed as she turned towards the opened door and started to run towards it.  
  
"Aeris! No! Stop!" he begged as he started after her, pushing all his strength to transform into his speed.  
  
Aeris ignored him, hoping only that her haste spell remained on her but she felt to seem so much slower then before.  
  
She was pushing herself now, trying hard to get away from him but her luck wasn't holding as he began to draw closer to her.  
  
Zack raised his arms up, out stretching them as far as they could go to grab her and as she paused to turn so not she couldn't slip, he dove towards her, knocking her to the floor quickly.  
  
"Aeris what's wrong with you!? Don't you recognize your own first love at all?" He asked her as he gripped her wrists tightly so she couldn't get away again.  
  
"You're not Zack! It's not possible! You don't even look like him!" She screamed trying to fight him off.  
  
"How can you say that!? I look just the way I did when I left for SOLDIER!" He told her as he struggled to sit up and pull her up with him.  
  
"No! You never left, something's. not right. I'm so confused. " She told him, finally giving up the fight against his strength and let herself fall limp from exhaustion into his arms.  
  
Softly, Zack released her wrists realizing how tired she felt now and let her fall into his chest. He took in several deep breaths heavily, trying to regain his strength as he gently slipped his arms around her waist and held her calmingly.  
  
Carefully, he slipped his black-gloved left hand under her knees and pulled her to the side slightly so she'd be more comfortable while pulling his arm to her side with his other hand resting over her silky brown hair, indented at her neck.  
  
She curled her fingers around his shoulder while she pressed the side of her face half way into his chest praying that everything that had happened was only a bad dream and she would wake from it soon.  
  
"Everything. will be alright soon." he told her trying to sound comforting but Aeris knew what he had said could never be true.  
  
Instead of arguing with him about his remark, she remained quiet hoping to just fall asleep in his arms in that moment, not caring whether he was the Zack she knew or not.  
  
"Aeris?" He whispered as he stroked the back of her neck gently.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Have you calmed down now?" He asked her, opening his eyes to down at her.  
  
"I.. I don't know." she told him softly, refusing to move.  
  
"We have to see the others soon. They're all worried about you." Zack told her and Aeris shook her head slowly against his chest.  
  
"No. the others. are not here."  
  
Zack confusingly, reached over and grabbed her shoulders and began to gently tug her away from him.  
  
"What do you mean? They're just over Mt. Nibel."  
  
"Mt. Nibel.? But. didn't I just come from Costa Del Sol?" She asked him, her mind beginning to riddle with questions once again.  
  
He chuckled at her as if she was just joking to him and then shook his head wildly at her.  
  
"Of coarse not! You were over in Rocket Town!" He said, surprising her instantly.  
  
Aeris pushed herself to her feet in that second he spoke and started towards the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked her as he started to get up himself.  
  
Aeris quickly placed her hand out in front of him to stop him from getting up and kept going the rest of the way out the door, hesitating greatly.  
  
Zack sat stunned looking to her last piece of her fingers as it slipped out the door.  
  
He then tried to arise and follow her but something held him down and he began to fiercely try and pull himself up.  
  
Forcefully, he tried to yank his hand free from the binding but it was if it was glued to it.  
  
"Damn it!" he cried as he attempted again to break free from the binding but was still held down.  
  
Zack squinted his eyes to see any part to Aeris, hoping to get her attention so she could help him but then another thought crossed his mind. Was she was the one who did this? No. Can't be! He thought to himself as he continued to struggle.  
  
Outside, Aeris continued towards Costa Del Sol, praying to find the real Zack she knew and loved there instead.  
  
"Zack. please wait for me." she whispered. 


	28. The Reward's Price of Death

Chapter 28: The Reward's Price of Death  
  
Steadily, Aeris made her way passed several different fields, each longer and deeper then the last.  
  
She refused to believe she was lost and kept pursuing her instincts to keep going. At one point she dropped to her knees and cried for a moment fearing that she had lost her will to go on but Zack's words kept her going through the strange land.  
  
Minutes later she collapsed again against a broken down true at the edge of some dense woods, breathing heavily from her own beaten exhaustion.  
  
Aeris felt starved, weak, and frighten from the thought of running into a beast at any upcoming wrong turn. She felt deeply that she would surely perish if confronted by it.  
  
Quickly, she brushed her arms back and flattened her palms against the ground to push herself up. She forced her feet to move, wanting to think that Zack was just over the next plain.  
  
She stumbled a bit, limp from her lack of breath still as she moved but Aeris still refused to give up, though she was longing for company.  
  
Hours passed and there was still no sign of anyone or anything and she began to think she had been going in circles the whole time now, until the soft faint noise of running water came to her mind.  
  
Swiftly, she shot her gaze in the direction of the sound and her eyes lit up brightly in a glimpse of hope.  
  
With all her strength she pushed off from the flat terrain and started to run towards the liquid, her eyes gleaming happily as she began to make her way up the nearby hill to reach it.  
  
Suddenly, she stopped only a few feet from the top..  
  
Faint voices could be heard above her from two men, she was sure of it but she was to frighten to move an inch further to confirm herself.  
  
"Hey? Did you hear bout the Ancient?"  
  
"Well, who wouldn't? Scarlet and that fat ass Heiddegar put it all over the news! But what I don't get it, is how she's here. I mean, who rises from the dead?"  
  
"But Scarlet said they can do that."  
  
"Well then where are the others?! If they could really do that, I don't think she'd be the last one! I say, she never died at all. They probably captured her and hid her until she broke free and made a run for it."  
  
"Still, that's a hell of a reward for her capture, I say we keep an eye out."  
  
"Well, I ain't. I mean come on! Hojo's dead and his wife is long gone too. What are they gonna do with her if their top scientists are dead?"  
  
"Have fat ass there rape her?"  
  
They both chuckled at the one's remark but it sent a fearful chill down Aeris's spine. She couldn't recognize their voices and she didn't dare raise herself so they could see her, so they stayed silent and listened.  
  
"Well whatever the reason, if I see her I'm not gonna capture her."  
  
Those words brought great relief to her and she finally found the courage to stand and see who they were.  
  
As she lifted herself her gaze met the two tall men, both dressed like they had been hunting in blue jeans as well as dark green sweaters.  
  
Her eyes caught site of their large rifles that lay at their feet. One turned other and then quickly back to his friend as she started to make her way towards the river.  
  
Aeris hoped that, the one wasn't the one who wanted her but felt safe knowing there was at least one that didn't want to take her at the same time.  
  
The one that had looked at her began whispering to the other fierce fully as he eyed her with a large grin spread across his deeply tanned face.  
  
He brushed away his jet-black hair from his eyes and nearly struck the other as he lowered it back to his side.  
  
Suddenly, the other man through back his right arm to push him away and shook his head as he leaned over and gathered his things.  
  
"But it's 100,000 gil!! Don't you think your wife will be proud if you came home with that kinda money!?" He hollered leaning down to face the other.  
  
"My wife would be proud if I left her alone.."  
  
"Well I'm not going to just let that kinda money go!" the young screamed as he reached back behind him and quickly scooped his rifle into his muscular hand from the ground and began to approach her.  
  
"Remember, she has to be alive!" The one yelled playfully and Aeris ignored them still knowing they couldn't get her to go anywhere now without hurting her. Since money was all the man really cared about then she knew he would lose it all so she knew, she'd be fine.  
  
Aeris, carelessly dipped her delicate hands into the cool soft liquid of the stream, cupping her hands as she lifted them back out. Gently, she lifted the water to her lips and took a sip from them, still weary from her walk to there.  
  
A silent click of the rifle behind her sounded but she didn't jolt or even attempt to move from her spot.  
  
"Alright, up!" he commanded her.  
  
Aeris nearly giggled at his foolish command but held it in and acted as though she didn't hear him what so ever.  
  
"Hey! Are you deaf or something?! Get up!" He commanded again, anger rising in his voice now.  
  
"Bitch! Get up or I'm gonna get a lot more out of you then just money!" The man warned her but she still refused to move.  
  
With his anger almost to the extreme now he through his arm forward and grabbed the back of her neck tightly as he yanked her to her feet.  
  
"Now, I'm pissed! I'm just going to work my anger out on your body when we get back to my place then!" he shouted now and Aeris noticed his partner quickly turning to his threat to her.  
  
"Dude! Are you nuts?! Why the hell are you gonna rape her?!" he demanded to know as he stood up himself now.  
  
"It ain't rape if she likes it!" the other called back, a smirk spreading across his face.  
  
"I won't!" Aeris screamed as she reached up and grabbed her arm and then tugged it out of his grip.  
  
The young muscular man then swiftly reacted by pulling his other arm up and catching her neck with it as he through his gun into his now freed hand. He tugged her back and pressed her against him painfully while stretching his other arm out while he let the gun drop to the ground and curled it back towards her.  
  
Aeris couldn't move from her spot now. Her head was tilted back over his shoulder and the other arm was now being wrapped around her waist gently but tightly, sliding up and down her sides.  
  
"Nope, you ain't gonna go no where." He whispered to her softly while slightly chuckling at her struggling.  
  
She failed to see the humor while in her state and couldn't break free as best she could when she started to struggle from his grasp. The man beside her seemed to give no more argument to the fate the other had already set for her as well.  
  
He gripped her left arm tightly and pulled it behind her back in order to put her in so much pain that she would do as they told her.  
  
"Now, let's go.." He told her as he began to push her down passed his friend towards his own home she guessed.  
  
"HEY!" a familiar voice called out and came from behind her.  
  
"Let her go!" he screamed again. The man holding Aeris turned towards the voice and Aeris moved her gaze as best she could in her position to see that it was Cloud charging towards them with a thick like sword at his side ready to strike at any moment.  
  
"I saw her first! I'm getting the money!" he screamed fierce fully.  
  
"You're not getting anything but a nice cut across your neck if you don't hand her over." Cloud quickly informed him as he began to stop no more then three feet in front of her.  
  
The young man quickly through Aeris hard onto the ground while he quickly scooped his gun back into his freed hand and charged it up.  
  
Swiftly, he pointed it up at her as she began to lift herself up as if in warning to her to try and escape and then shot it up towards Cloud's head.  
  
"The Shinra said to bring her back alive but I won't hesitate to blast her brains out to get rid of you!" he warned.  
  
Suddenly a shot rang out near them. Aeris through her head down in protection as if the shot was from the one man. Hurried footsteps softly patted against the ground on the noise began to die down.  
  
Slowly, she raised her eyes to level them at the man and noticed his own eyes were brightly lit in disbelief.  
  
She stared confused on what was going on and then the young man reached down towards his stomach brushing off what seemed to be fresh blood onto his fingertips.  
  
He gently rubbed his fingers together slowly and then his eyes began roll back into his head as his body started to tilt towards her.  
  
The man smashed into the ground, landing with a sickening thud against the streambed.  
  
Aeris turned her focus then to Cloud for an answer to what had just happened but his face seemed to show that he was just as puzzled as her.  
  
"W.What happened?" she asked him hoping that his expression was just a cover for the real truth.  
  
Cloud seemed to ignore her question as he dropped his sword at his side and looked onward towards the man's lifeless body.  
  
"And another one bites the dust.." Came a crud deep yet familiar voice.  
  
Both Cloud and Aeris turned towards it and saw a young man draped in a red cloak with flowing back hair. Though his left arm seemed to have been replaced with a golden metal arm, his right hand was outstretched, a jet- black revolver clutched inside it with smoke lightly bellowing out from it's used barrel.  
  
"Nothing beats my Death Penalty." He explained as he brought it to his lips and blew the gray smoke from the tip of it.  
  
Cloud then turned to Aeris as he placed his blade behind his head and clasped it to his back and then started towards her.  
  
Aeris cringed at him looking for a place to go but found nowhere to escape to. He gently outstretched his hand down to her to help her, and she hesitantly grabbed it and he quickly lifted her own to grip it.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked softly as he pulled her to her feet.  
  
"Y- yes." She answered, still locked in fear of him.  
  
"Why did you run off like that? It's the first time we've seen you in so long and you left us."  
  
"I know you?"  
  
"Aeris, what happened to you? We all knew you, and you knew us. It broke our hearts when Sephiroth took you away from us." Cloud began to explain.  
  
"Took me away? To where?"  
  
"Aeris. he killed you in the forgotten City, don't you remember?" he asked her, his voice tone low and sounding slightly hurt as he lifted his hands to her shoulders.  
  
"The only thing as far back as I can remember is when I first met Zack in some town. but ultimate weapon came and destroyed it."  
  
"But we destroyed the Ultimate Weapon. It wasn't even around when Zack was alive."  
  
"But it was there! Zack was there too, he's not dead!"  
  
"Aeris. I was there they day he died, he risked his life to bring me to Midgar but was shot to death by Shinra SOLDIERS. They spared me, only because they thought I would die of Mako poisoning from the reactor in Niblehiem. he's gone."  
  
"No, no, no! You don't understand! Go find Hojo or. or Lucrecia and Cid! Even Shera will tell you he's alive!" Aeris cried desperately.  
  
"Hojo is gone too, we killed him when he went mad in the Shinra Headquarters when he was trying to give his son, Sephiroth, all the power of the place."  
  
"Lucrecia is lost as well, because Hojo had taken her child she died as well leaving me with this gun and an ultimate power." The man in red told her hurtfully.  
  
"Come on, everyone will be worried sick if we don't go back to them soon." Cloud encouraged them to try and get Aeris to follow.  
  
Suddenly, something seemed to click into Aeris's mind and she shot her head up at Cloud, grabbing his neck furiously.  
  
"Where is the LifeStream?!" She screamed.  
  
His eyes lit up brightly in surprise at her attack that moment and tried to shake her off but she kept a tight firm grip.  
  
"Where is it!?" She demanded to know again.  
  
"Aeris what's wrong with you?!"  
  
"It's a doorway for me to go back to Zack! Where is the LifeStream?!"  
  
"It may be a doorway but only to hell Aeris! It's suicide to go into one!"  
  
"Well I've been into one three times and it's a doorway for me! I don't care about the risks, I just want to go back! Now tell me where is it?!"  
  
"Aeris." The young man started as he lifted his arms up gently and pointed towards the west side of him.  
  
"There's one, over there." He finally finished and Aeris quickly released Cloud and took off in the direction he was pointing.  
  
"Why'd you tell her where it is, Vincent?!"  
  
"Don't worry. she'll never find it." he started as he turned and started back towards Costa Del Sol but Cloud turned to follow Aeris off into the distance. 


	29. Fallen Depths of Hope

Chapter 29: Fallen Depths of Hope  
  
Aeris was pushing herself to her limits now, pushing all her restlessness aside and out of her body.  
  
Breathing heavily, nearly about to fall she still continued forward without even the thought of stopping because she knew they may be following.  
  
She tripped on her way over an up raised root from a nearby tree and fell flat on her stomach hard.  
  
She lay silently on the ground for a few minutes exhausted from running. She gently breathed in with her hair flipped over her head. Aeris closed her eyes as she listened to the ground for sounds of footsteps but none came to her ears.  
  
She then began to sit up but dropped back down into the ground in pain. Aeris gripped her stomach as it started to throb squinting her eyes tightly.  
  
As the throbbing continued to pulse through out her body, Aeris then began to feel sick, almost like throwing up.  
  
"What's wrong with me.?" she whispered to herself.  
  
Suddenly soft footsteps padded against the solid dirt ground sounded nearby and were headed towards her quickly. She almost at once realized whom they belonged to. Despite her pain she thrusted her hands to her side and through herself up, starting to run almost immediately after.  
  
"Aeris!" Cloud cried out, scanning the area for her as he continued to try and follow her. "Come back! We'll help you!"  
  
Ignoring his pleas she pressed on, pulling her dress back behind her legs so she could move quicker away from her.  
  
"Where is it? Come on I can feel it's here somewhere." She whispered to herself, swinging her glances to each side of her desperately for any sign of the warm glowing stream.  
  
"Aeris!" Cloud cried again. Aeris almost regretted running from him now as his voice grew more frighten and desperate to find her.  
  
She continued to go straight though, passing nearby trees as she went to hide herself from Cloud as he edged nearer to her. Beginning to pick up her speed she could start to feel the warm stream growing closer to her. The grass seemed to die at a point before her but she refused to acknowledge the possibilities of the reasons for it.  
  
Suddenly, the faint sound of rushing water came to her ears, and she stopped quickly. Her eyes grew large as she now noticed she was hovering over a deep canyon as well.  
  
Small stones escaped from beneath her boots and bounced off the sides of the canyon. Her whole body seemed to shake in fright as she stared down below but something caught her eye.  
  
Aeris looked a little more over closely and saw the gentle neon green glow of the LifeStream below in the center of the ground at the bottom.  
  
"Aeris! Stop!" Cloud screamed and she turned to see he was only a few feet away from him now.  
  
She feared missing the stream if she attempted to fall into it from that far, but then again if she didn't risk it, then Cloud would surely grab her and pull her back to Costa Del Sol. back to all the strange people that claimed to know her.  
  
Taking in a few deep breaths she stood silently, awaiting Cloud to near her enough.  
  
"Don't. don't do it, you'll die!" he told her breathlessly as he stopped about two feet in front of her.  
  
Aeris's eyes dimmed, and seemed to fade with the setting sun that sat behind her. A gentle breeze swept around her slender thin body.  
  
Her hands lay limply at her side as she stared silently off towards Cloud. She didn't even seemed concerned anywhere about falling, even if it was to her death as she took a step backwards so that her heels were hanging off the edge now.  
  
"Goodbye.." She whispered as a small smile spread across her delicate face.  
  
Cloud's eyes enlarged themselves instantly as she started to lean back with nothing to keep her from dropping.  
  
Before even the first second had passed, wind began to shoot passed her furiously as her body fell below.  
  
Aeris felt as if she was flying upside down and refused to think differently knowing it might ruin her landing.  
  
All thoughts of death vanished from her mind and as she watched the side of the canyon rushed passed her. She started to close her eyes gently then to hide it from herself to keep any fear from her mind.  
  
"Aeris!!" Cloud screamed and Aeris reopened her eyes quickly only to find that he had jumped off after her as well.  
  
He was pushing himself to speed faster towards her but she made no attempt to do the same. Laying her head back she ignored Cloud as she head dived towards the bottom knowing nothing could really stop her from falling as she reclosed her eyes awaiting the impact soon to come as it had done in Costa Del Sol.  
  
"I won't let you do this." Cloud whispered as he finally reached her side.  
  
He quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. Aeris shot her eyes open and turned her head to him as they suddenly stopped in mid-air.  
  
"What are you doing?! Let go!" Aeris screamed as she began to wildly try and break free from his grasp.  
  
Both of them hovered no more then a foot above the warm scream. Aeris grabbed his arm and started to push it away from her waist hard but not far enough it seemed.  
  
Gasping for air he looked to her confusingly and took a few deep breathes as well as he watched her curiously.  
  
"Aeris please don't do this, you'll die for sure if you plunge into the stream."  
  
"I won't! Drop me and I'll only disappear!"  
  
"No, only your soul will, you will die and then all our struggling will be in vain!" he screamed.  
  
"Your struggling?! That is another world in there! Zack is there, and the Cid and Shera I know are there! Please let me go back to them, Cloud!" Aeris begged her voice beginning to grow soft and weak.  
  
"As much as I'd like to help you, I can't let you go."  
  
"Then please forgive me." Aeris told him as she lowered her hands in front of her and clasped them together.  
  
"Wha-" Cloud started but was cut off by Aeris's powerful blow to the side his head with the sides of her hands swung from beside her.  
  
He remained suspended in mid-air but his grip quickly loosened and she slipped swiftly into the cool stream's liquid. Aeris closed her eyes the minute her deep chocolate brown braids touched the surface as she sunk deep beneath its liquid of souls and disappeared from Cloud's view towards the bottom. 


	30. Renewed Love

Chapter 30: Renewed Love  
  
The gentleness of the stream swirled around her body peacefully as she floated downwards, with her body slightly telling forward as if she was to end up lying on her stomach.  
  
Her eyes remained shut calmly as her arms floated upwards towards her head lifelessly.  
  
She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came, in fact nothing seemed to emerge from her mouth even as she gently continued to float downwards. But. she wasn't desperate for air. Maybe she had already passed into the world..  
  
Suddenly, her desperate demand for air arrived finally and she instantly shot her eyes open to see blue all around her as she through her head up, breaking the surface.  
  
Soon she could feel the ground firm under her and she realized she was sitting in the middle of a stream now as she was gasping for air.  
  
Water droplets fell from her soaked body back into the gentle stream below her and Aeris slowly began to regain her full sight as she stared up into the sky. As she glanced around the area, filling in every detail she began to laugh, a smile stretched across her face as she did so.  
  
"I'm back! Yes!" she cried as she joyfully lifted herself from the liquid and began to kick it around playfully. She shook out the remaining water that hadn't left her, out of her hair to at least dry it half way before going near anyone that she hoped was around.  
  
An overwhelming sense of emotions seemed to over power her now as she jumped around playfully still.  
  
Suddenly, a bullet came ripping in front of her eyes, just inches from the tip of her nose.  
  
Her eyes grew large instantly and she fell back into the water in shock. As she struck the surface, a huge explosion sounded nearby.  
  
Too frightened to move or breathe she remained floating on the surface of the stream now.  
  
Deep sounds echoed through the shallow waters of stampeding people, or so she believed them to be.  
  
Her body began to grow colder as the noise grew louder and drummed throughout her head, as if it was suddenly turning winter in only a couple seconds.  
  
Aeris gently pushed herself up, water streamed fro her already soaked hair as she did so and her eyes seemed to bulge from her head.  
  
Hundreds of snow rabbits were charging towards her fiercely, looking extremely frightened it seemed. Aeris took a quick guess at what frightened them, figuring it was most likely the bullets that nearly had cut her life to a complete stop.  
  
The water seemed to freeze around her entire body as she sat dormant as the snow rabbits edged closer towards her quickly.  
  
Something seemed to click in her head at that moment and she pushed herself up out of the stream.  
  
For a split second she turned towards the rabbits and noticed that as they hopped they drug snowfields behind them making the summer scenery instantly disappear into a winter wonderland instead.  
  
After that moment she knew if she didn't move from them that if they passed her, the water that covered her body would swiftly freeze over and in case her within it.  
  
Her soaked dress grew heavier quickly as she shot off through the plains. The warm sun beamed down upon her wet body, drying it slowly but surely. The rabbits were gaining fast, through and her only hope was that the sun would dry her off before they reached her at least.  
  
The bottom of her rosy pink dress slapped against the sides of her growing tired legs, nearly pulling her down each time it struck her.  
  
She felt as if she was running from and over powering avalanche that was speeding towards her unable to be stopped and Aeris greatly was consumed in fear by it.  
  
"Hey get out of the way!" cried a young man's voice to her she guessed.  
  
Aeris continued to run though, to stunned and confused to stop, knowing that if she went off just the slightest bit that they would reach her.  
  
"MOVE!" He screamed again fierce fully.  
  
"I can't move!" Aeris called out not knowing when he where he was standing.  
  
"Yes you can! Just stop! They go right passed you!" he called out and Aeris already knew the consequence to that foolish move.  
  
"And then I'll become a human Popsicle I won't move!"  
  
"Then you'll just be running for miles because they won't stop for you!" he screamed over there thundering footsteps.  
  
"Aeris!" called another man, this time he sounded extremely familiar, probably because he was closer now.  
  
She turned her head confusingly around to find the source of his voice but couldn't find it anywhere.  
  
"Aeris just stop! I'll unfreeze you but you have to stop!"  
  
"Where are y-.." She cried but was quickly silenced as she cut herself off with an ear-piercing scream.  
  
The ground suddenly began to take a complete drop below her and she realized she was heading towards an endless cliff.  
  
Aeris knew that the rabbits would surely live through the drop but she wouldn't have a chance.  
  
"Stop, Aeris!" he cried again and she finally met eyes with him.  
  
Zack was hurtling along the sides watching her concerningly as she ran in fear. She closed her eyes and slowly nodded to him and began to slow herself down with the snow rabbits almost at her heels.  
  
They quickly rushed passed her within seconds and she could feel the deep pain of the water that had remained on her delicate body rise and start to harden, pinching a her with frost bite.  
  
Soon, as the last rabbits passed her, she could no longer move her fingers or even her whole arm.  
  
She had been frozen like a statue in the middle of the field now.  
  
Aeris was not in a block of ice but rather she looked more like a porcelain doll, position in a delicate way, glistening with the sun's gentle rays pouring down onto her body.  
  
Her lips were purged, frozen shut along with her eyes. Her fingers were extended backwards, along with her arms and it looked as if she was trying to fly.  
  
Zack rushed over to her frozen body, and reached back only to see her arms were stretched out behind her slender body in an elegant way. Her softly gripped her hand with his to warm it, even the slightest bit.  
  
"If you can hear me. you look like a delicate glass ordainment, more like an angel that would be fit for the front of the best ship." He whispered while a small smile crossed his face.  
  
Aeris could hear him and she tried to open her eyes and smile at him but the ice kept her still as could be despite her attempts to break free.  
  
"I know you think it's funny and want to laugh at me right now though." He tried to tell her, chuckling through his teeth.  
  
"Give me just a few minutes and you'll be unfrozen in no time." Zack encouraged her softly as he let go of her still, cold hand. Calmly, he walked to the front of her and placed his hands over her shoulders, sliding them back down towards her elbows. It slid them gently back up to her neck and leaned in close to her, starting to focus his energy into his fingertips, beginning to melt the ice away.  
  
"I love you," he whispered and Aeris felt as if she would melt the ice off herself with his soft words that she had been waiting to hear again for so long now.  
  
Zack pushed himself closer and captured her frozen lips with his own, instantly melting the ice away from them while his fingers produced enough heat to melt the ice around her body quickly.  
  
Within seconds, she was able to move her arms again and she brought them up gently to wrap them around his neck. He shuttered slightly at her cold touch against his skin but quickly stopped as he pulled her close to him.  
  
Finally she regained the feeling within her face and felt his lips against her own and pressed back against his long fully.  
  
As he pulled out the blanket they had once used on Cid's first ship and wrapped it around her calmly to warm her.  
  
Softly, he slipped his left hand down below her knees and swept her up from the ground so he could hold her.  
  
"How did you get out of the lifestream?" Aeris asked trying hard to shudder from the piercing coldness that pinched at her neck and face.  
  
"Shhh. We'll talk later." He told her calmly as he pulled her to his warm body lovingly and began to walk with her still in his arms.  
  
"Where are we?" Aeris asked confusingly after the first few minutes of walking.  
  
"Near the bone village on the third continent I think." He told her gently as he turned his gaze towards the sun.  
  
"Zack. isn't that right next to the Forgotten City?" She asked curiously as she began to drift off into a deep sleep.  
  
"I don't really know. maybe but you should wait awhile before talking again, Aeris. You really need your rest now, O.K.?" he told her lovingly.  
  
"I'm going to try and stay awake." she whispered but drifted off into her slumber after her final words to him.  
  
Zack smiled gently down at her as he pulled her close to his chest in comfort as he continued onward towards the nearest town. 


	31. Renounced Truths

Chapter 31: Renounced Truths  
  
Aeris opened her eyes gently looking around her slowly to see what she had missed.  
  
As she laid conscience and silent, she began to pick up details in her mind about everything and knew it. all to be extremely familiar.  
  
Her eyes lit up almost instantly and she pushed herself from the hard wooden floor below her.  
  
The book selves, the nearby mirror, the candles in the corners, nearly burned to their bottoms, it was all so much that shot back into her memories quickly.  
  
"No." she whispered to herself, looking stunned at everything around her.  
  
"This. this can't be right. I mean. I was here already. That strange man who said he was Zack was here. This. cannot be.. I went through that portal and-." Suddenly, she stopped and tears began to form in her eyes as a astonishing thought rolled through her mind.  
  
"Did it not work? Am I still in this world." She asked herself hurtfully, as she glanced down at the floor.  
  
Aeris drew her hands up to her face sliding them back to push gently the hanging down pieces of hair back behind her ears while leaving her hands cuffed over them. She rested her elbows softly on the tips of her knees as she pulled them up to her chest in agony.  
  
"Aeris?" came a soft voice from in front of her, but she refused to move from her position.  
  
"Aeris, please look at me." he pleaded as he calmly brushed his hand against her pale cheek and slipped it under her chin. He nudged it upwards so her head raised itself so she was now eye level with him.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
She quickly ripped her glance away to the side as he asked the deathly question.  
  
"Please tell me, I only want to help you." He explained as he raised his hand again to her soft face and tried to pull her gaze back to him. Aeris refused to gaze up upon Zack at that moment, she was to confused and hurt to do such a thing.  
  
"Ae-,"  
  
"NO!" She screamed as she yanked herself away from his grasp.  
  
"Have I done something wrong?" Zack asked concerningly, placing his hands back at his sides knowing she'd only pull away again. She remained silent, to afraid to answer him or even look at him, believing he would look as strange as before with his bright blue eyes and aged facial features.  
  
"Aeris. it's me, Zack. Before you drifted off you welcomed me back with opened arms, as I did you, why are you suddenly against me?" he asked gently as he tried to lower his head and twist it to one side to meet eyes with her.  
  
"Please." he begged as he turned her head to him again.  
  
As she turned to him, he watched the glistening within her eyes from the fresh tears about to fall from the corner of her eyes. Aeris focused her eyes onto his, and almost instantly lunged into his arms, kissing him fiercely after she noticed his eyes were the deep warm chocolate brown she knew and loved.  
  
Her tears rolled down her cheeks in happiness, and in shame for not realizing that it was he to begin with.  
  
"I love you." he whispered as they broke away for a moment, which only caused Aeris to fiercely push back and deliver another kiss long fully.  
  
Finally after several minutes, Zack finally broke away from Aeris's warmth and let her collapse into his arms, tired and cold still from the crystal ice that she was frozen in for those few minutes in the field.  
  
"How did you get here?" Aeris asked gently as she pushed her head softly into his chest.  
  
"I walked." He answered.  
  
"No, no. how did you get back from the lifestream?"  
  
"Well. actually, I don't know."  
  
"What do you mean?" Aeris asked him confusingly as she lifted her head from his chest to meet eyes with him.  
  
"Well. I just fell into the stream and when I woke up, I was floating in a lake near like these kind of ancient buildings surrounded by a bunch of trees. It was really creepy. I was this guy who was pretty much exactly like me, except for his face and hair, and well. he was holding you."  
  
"Holding me? But I never touched the guy until I first woke up myself after falling into the lifestream."  
  
"No, no. he wasn't holding you like he was hugging you. he had you laid out across his arms. Your hands were folded in prayer over your stomach and you looked as if you were sleeping but." Zack stopped, clutching his eyes tightly shut as if he was trying to hold something back and his grip around her tightened as well as if he was trying to hold on forever, not wanting to release her ever.  
  
"But, what.?" She asked as she lowered herself against his chest again to comfort him.  
  
"But. you were. dead. he carried you to the center of the lake, I swam out of the lake when he started to wade into the waters, but he set you down on the lake's surface and you sank below after he let you go. The man looked as if he was going to burst into tears like I did when he let you sink into the lake towards the bottom."  
  
Aeris didn't say a word to Zack about how Cloud had once told her that she had died before as well, thinking it would surely upset him more then he already was now.  
  
"But, I'm right here, and I'll never leave you again." She whispered to him as she held him tighter to her.  
  
"Well, after that all happened, and they left I went into the lake to get you. I followed your body as it sank, trying to reach it but the closer I got, the darker it became. When I finally reached you. it was as if the water completely exploded or something because I was shot out of the lake into mid-air. When I fell back down, I was in another lifestream and saw you running and chased after you." Zack explained briefly as he continued to grasp her long fully.  
  
"Similar things happened to me too. I missed you so much. I wanted to give up and just die and then I remembered about how the lifestream was like a doo-, AHH!" Aeris was quickly interrupted by a sharp painful shock that seemed to tab her in the center of her stomach.  
  
Her grip on Zack instantly became tighter around his neck, her fingernails digging deep into his soft skin around his throat.  
  
"Wha- What is it?" Zack asked desperately as Aeris quickly released Zack and clutched her stomach tightly in deep pain.  
  
"S-Something's, Something inside me is like. stabbing me!" she told him as she cried out in pain again, bending her waist over, her head nearly touching the floor.  
  
Zack slipped his arms under her own and tilted her so she would roll over and lay gently on her back as she groaned.  
  
"It's going to be alright, calm down, it'll be ok." Zack told her, trying hard to reassure her.  
  
"It hurts so much." Aeris cried as she pulled her knees up and clutched them tighter around her stomach, rocking slightly back and forth to ease her suffering.  
  
Zack quickly reached over and grabbed the blanket at his side and balled it up to form a decent enough pillow. Zack gently slipped his hands beneath her neck and swiftly scooted the pillow under her delicate braids as he laid her back down upon it.  
  
He then reached into his pocket and removed a small green orb that swirled inside with a hint of white softly. Raising it to her stomach, he tendering dropped it onto it, and placed his hands over top of it soothingly so it wouldn't fall off.  
  
"Zack, I feel like I'm going to puke or something." She cried as he placed his hands over hers and the orb.  
  
"It'll be alright soon, don't worry." He calmly told her as he gently closed his eyes and focused his energy within his palms into the orb.  
  
Slowly, the orb seemed to begin to illuminate a gentle cool glow that started to begin to as it seemed, break into tiny shards that spread around her stomach and began to sink into her flesh.  
  
Aeris seemed to scream in a worse pain as they passed through her but Zack remained still, his own body beginning to glow a pale sky blue as wind started to push around him.  
  
"Freezing rings. here my call, and cover the heat over with your breeze! Ice!" Zack called out and his palms seemed to explode into her stomach.  
  
Zack was flung back into the nearby wall, and he skidded until he finally touched the bottom with the tip of his knees breathlessly. A bright light illuminated the room, blinding out any sign of Aeris.  
  
Zack quickly regained his footing but raised his gloved black hands to his eyes to block out the bright light. Slowly, he approached her, beginning to see a faint outline of her slender body laying softly against the ground.  
  
"Zack." she whispered as he dropped to his knees and started towards her despite the blinding light.  
  
"I'm coming, don't worry." He assured her as he quickly closed his eyes and dropped his hands to the ground and started to crawl towards her.  
  
She gently lifted her left hand out to him, as she clutched her eyes tightly shut against the blinding bluish like.  
  
He quickly reached out and gripped her tender hand, clutching it gently, knowing she was very weak still. The light soon began to quickly die down and Zack no longer had to squint to make out Aeris's motionless body. Soon, the rays disappeared, leaving Aeris almost looking as if she was lifeless. Her hand fell limp within his own as he held and moved in closer to her, laying his hand gently across her forehead to check for a temperature.  
  
Softly, he slipped himself next to her waist, looking down upon her face gently as she laid their still. Slowly, he slid his hand down towards her own and grasped it lovingly as he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it.  
  
"Don't worry, the pain will die down soon."  
  
"But why has it gotten worse?"  
  
"Because ice needs to pierce through you to cool down your blood, that's all."  
  
Aeris kept her eyes closed gently as she softly clutched his hand and tried to raise her other to him, but seemed to be much to weak.  
  
She nervously released several soft deep breaths as she tried to relax herself.  
  
Zack gently released her hand from his own and placed it over her stomach, pulling her other hand over as well and clasping it over her other in prayer like he had seen her be placed in that way one time.  
  
Slowly, he lowered himself down to her side, and kissed her forehead tenderly as he lifted her bangs from her face.  
  
"Zack?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Umm.can I sit up now? I'm feeling much better."  
  
"Oh, umm.sure." He told her quickly as he slipped his hands beneath her waist and lifted her softly from the concrete floor so she sat up now.  
  
Aeris slowly opened her eyes as she tried to refocus herself and then turned to him swiftly.  
  
She chuckled at his startled expression and he couldn't help but to smile himself at her as she lowered her head in embarrassment.  
  
"I'm.sorry." She choked out to him as she tried to stable herself.  
  
"It's alright." He told her softly, and a playful idea popped into his mind and he quickly lunged at Aeris. He wrapped his arms swiftly around her waist and flipped her backwards so she was lying on her back while on him as well.  
  
Zack dug his fingers in her sides and began to tickle her fiercely.  
  
"Ah! Stop!!" she begged as she started to laugh hard.  
  
"But why?" he asked her, knowing she couldn't really answer him back, or hardly breathe for that matter.  
  
"No.! S-Stop!" she pleaded again, trying hard to catch her breath.  
  
"You never answered my question, though." He played as he rolled her over so she was facing the floor now.  
  
"I-I-I." She stuttered trying to answer him but she could hardly get enough breath in herself, as she needed just to live.  
  
"I what?" he played again as he increased his tickling.  
  
"I-I can't breathe!" she cried as she clutched her eyes shut and tried desperately to grab his hands.  
  
"Is that so?" he joked as he flipped her back over so she was facing the ceiling again.  
  
"Please! S-S-Stop!" she cried again hoping he would listen this time, but he only made it worse.  
  
"But why? You didn't give me a good enough answer!" he teased and finally she caught his hands with her own and took in a deep breath as she tried to relax herself.  
  
Aeris clutched his hands tightly and then released them in trust that he wouldn't start up again. Instead of attacking her again, Zack unrolled his hands so they lay smoothly on her hips and gently slipped them around her stomach, hugging her softly.  
  
She pushed herself so she had her head over his heart and turned it so it lay gently on his chest and she could see him clearly.  
  
"You ok?" Zack ask her softly as he turned his head slightly to the right to meet eyes with her.  
  
"Mmmm hmmm." she responded gently.  
  
Zack wanted to lie there for almost pretty much forever but he knew that was impossible because of where they were at.  
  
Slowly, he forced himself up, but refused to release Aeris from his grasp as he moved himself.  
  
"Come on.we have a long ways to go before we ever see Cid again, so we might as well start, you know?" he tried to explain to her softly enough.  
  
"Mmm. alright." she groaned as she turned herself sideways so she was stretched across his lap but left her head on his chest, as she closed her eyes.  
  
"Come on," he told her regretfully as he slipped his hands from her waist and placed them gently on the floor to push himself to his feet.  
  
When he released her, Aeris moved herself from Zack's lap and pushed herself up as well so she stood with him now.  
  
As he brushed off the last specks of dust from his body, he gently slipped his right arm back around her waist.  
  
"Well, I think the closest town to us, is Midgar.. It's not exactly the best town from what I've heard from a lot of people too unfortunately, you see.." He explained dreadfully.  
  
"It's alright," she told him, hope rising in her voice, "At least we'll see Cid again." She whispered sounding very assuring to him.  
  
"Well. better start going then, right?"  
  
"Yeah. lets go meet them.." 


	32. The Ocean's New Current

Chapter 32: The Ocean's New Current  
  
They had been walking for hours now or so it seemed since they both last left the empty home in the northern continent to them. Zack at first tried to think of how to get to the Bone Village, but then quickly remembered the risk about going there because of how cold and deep the marshes were around it, and how deadly the monsters were as well.  
  
Zack's arm was wrapped tightly around Aeris's waist in support as they walked on, but felt himself starting to give way at the knees as well. Aeris raised her gaze slowly then to only meet eyes with the ocean that separated them, from Midgar.  
  
Breathless, she collapsed out of Zack's loosen grip now, and fell weakly into the sand pieces below. It was only noon but she didn't care, she was tired enough as it was and didn't much want to move from her state. The sand below her was soft but warm from the sun's high rays.  
  
Zack fell back beside her as well, his eyes sagging from his lack of sleep and weakness. She turned her head in the temperate sand and gave him a small smile as best as she could, but didn't really know what else to do. He slipped his hands down into his pocket after returning the expression and pulled a bottle of water, and a vial with a small amount of a bright bluish liquid from his pocket.  
  
Confused, Aeris partly raised herself and looked to him for an answer onto what the vial was filled with.  
  
"Zack?"  
  
"Yes?" he whispered as he examined the bottle for any contamination.  
  
"What.. What is that?" She asked with deep curiosity in her voice, and her eyes beginning to glow as bright as the syrup inside with surprise.  
  
"It's. well it's kind of hard to explain." he started, as he laid it out beside him, half burying into the sand.  
  
"It's like, well a potion, a good one, but one of the best. They're extremely rare to come by, so it's best not to use them to quickly. I think it's called. hmmm an Elixir actually, cures both the mind and body completely. A small drop of this on your tongue will keep you running for days, just have to warm it up a bit that's all, then it'll be easier to drink."  
  
"Oh ok. but. how are we going to get to Midgar? Isn't it across the ocean from here, straight ahead?" She asked him in confusion again, as she eyed the bottle beside him.  
  
"Across the ocean to the left actually, straight ahead is practically nothing, and to the Right, well, that's Niblehem, Rocket Town, and you know the other places." He explained to her slowly.  
  
"Oh all right then." she whispered, as she seemed to drift off into another deep sleep to recover her strength for their journey onwards.  
  
"Alright." Zack told her as he sucked in a deep long full breath and scooped up the vial from the deep sand.  
  
He gripped it slightly, and slipped his thumb's tip towards the top where a cork rested within the tube's opening, blocking off the exit and entrance of the liquid. He then pushed it gently against the rubbery particle and it gave a soft popping noise and fell below, into his other out stretched hand.  
  
"You ready?" he asked her, grinning playfully at her as he started to pull the glass to his lips.  
  
"Mmm hmm." she answered quickly, as she tried to push herself to her feet to be really ready for him.  
  
At that moment, Zack slowly closed his eyes and gently tipped his head slightly back, letting the fluid slip down the sides of the vial passed his lips and slickly down his throat.  
  
Almost at once, he shot up with the biggest grin Aeris had ever seen spread across his face, his eyes glew with the utmost excitement and his face gleamed brightly with energy. Aeris giggled slightly at him as he started to jog in place and quickly through the cork back on the top of the vial and through it back into his pocket.  
  
"Ok, gotta go, let's go, hurry up, don't wanna wait." He quickly responded as he continued to jog in front of her with glee.  
  
"Alright, alright." she whispered as she straightened herself in front of him quickly.  
  
Without even a seconds thought, Zack then lounged at Aeris and swiftly wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, throwing her back to the ground with him, giggling uncontrollable as she struck the soft warm sand.  
  
Smiling, with his eyes still lit, he pushed down against her, delivering a passionate kiss to her tender lushes lips. Aeris pushed back in return for him, smiling as she did so and slipped her arms up around his shoulders, holding tightly to him, but he released his lips from her own and looked down at her chuckling as he started to speak.  
  
"Do you always have to hold on to me like you wanna take it all the way ever time I kiss you?" he asked playfully.  
  
Aeris just giggled in response and slightly blushed, her cheeks starting to burn a deep reddish color. Before raising himself, Zack then lowered himself, capturing another gentle kiss from her.  
  
Aeris let her arms slide from their grasp around his neck and she quickly pushed herself up with him as well.  
  
"Alright, let's go now!" Zack told her swiftly as he jumped back to his feet and grabbed her hands, yanking her up with him as well.  
  
"How are you planning on crossing that thing?" Aeris asked him after he let go and started towards the water's crisp foaming edge.  
  
"Swim, what else?"  
  
"SWIM!? But it's an ocean! It'll take you days!" Aeris screamed, her eyes growing instantly at the mention of the word.  
  
Zack just shrugged to her response and turned back to face the water, starting to wade into it now, and then stopped, turning back to face her once more and outstretched his hand gently to her.  
  
"You want me to swim that far too?" she quickly asked, folding her arms back into her chest remembering how cold it was to be frozen before.  
  
"Hell no, I'm gonna carry ya, just come on in, this is spring water, so it's quite warm, you won't have a problem, I swear." He tried to explain, curling in his fingers to motion her in towards him.  
  
Aeris thought for a moment about it, but then finally figured out that there wasn't any way around it, that she had to go into the water.  
  
Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Aeris moved towards the supposedly warm water, and started to walk gentle in it, letting her shoes start to soak up the warm as it raised itself until it reached her waist.  
  
Starting to become more adjusted to the water's soothing temperature, she then raised her own hand that was once gliding along the surface of the liquid, up to his own and clasped it gently.  
  
Slowly, Zack pulled her close to him and slipped his arms around what was left of her waist above the water and held her close to him, his expression, unchanged.  
  
"Next time we do anything, I'll make sure it's in some water, even a shower will do, but keep your clothes on, you look so much better like this." Zack joked, eyeing her body down to where it disappeared into the sea. All Aeris could do was blush much more fiercely this time, but didn't know what to say in response.  
  
Slowly, Zack continued to wade deeper into the ocean's salted waters, nearly slipping a couple times as he went, holding Aeris still with him on his one arm strapped around her.  
  
"Zack, you know I can't swim that far, not even half the ways. I can't even see the southern shore from here!" she announced quickly when she noticed the liquid starting to rise to her chest now.  
  
Zack turned to face her, and nodded in agreement to her reaction to the water's deepness.  
  
"I know, but you won't have to swim, remember? I'm carrying you over to Midgar."  
  
"But, you'll weigh yourself down. You'll sink before you can go very far.." Aeris added as she tightened her grip around his own waist in fear.  
  
"Calm down. I got it all figured out," he told her smoothly as he shoved his other hand down his side and beneath the ocean's surface.  
  
Aeris could faintly make out what he was doing but noticed his hand disappear for a moment, probably into his pocket. Then, as quickly as he had pushed his hand under the water, he pulled it out with it clutched tightly around something seemingly small and light.  
  
Confused, she just stared at him, wandering what he was hiding within his closed fingers but he then began to slowly uncurl them to answer her mind's question.  
  
A glittering greenish orb revealed itself to her, lying softly in the palm of his black-gloved hand.  
  
"What's that?" Aeris quickly asked curiously, wondering if it could be the same orb that he used on her before in the broken down cabin.  
  
"It's called, Float," he whispered, eyeing the gentle white swirls that intermixed with the greenish tint inside.  
  
"Didn't you use that before, you know, back there?"  
  
"Naw, that one was actually, Ice. I know it might seem strange, but there's a bunch of green ones like this one, all looking exactly the same but all with a different power. They're called, Materia, and pretty much now, my favorite little toys. Do you remember when I first met you?"  
  
Stunned, Aeris didn't know what to say. at first she thought instantly she knew when that was, but then it slipped her mind like an oncoming train and at that moment, she knew, she had no clue of when she first met him.  
  
"Actually. no." she whispered, turning her gaze from him and gazing down at the glassy water's surface into her own reflection in confusion.  
  
"You don't? Hmm. maybe that's because you hit your head that day. Well actually, you were pretty knocked out when Dyne and I found you. You were lying on the side of a beach really, completely, or so it seemed unconscious. At first, we thought you were dead, but Dyne said you still had strength in your body, so he carried you back to our cabin, over the hills of Midgar I think actually, in a town called, Kalm. It was a relatively small town, not many people lived there, they all just came and went throughout the places on journeys and whatnot, but something happened that day." he whispered, looking away from her now as she raised her gaze back to him for the rest of the story.  
  
"What.?" she gently whispered, wondering if someone he knew died or something and that's why he was so quiet.  
  
".The Weapon came. You had just gotten up, and acted completely determined about being able to stop it, we all ran out of the house, and practically had to drag you out with us, but then you yelled about how you didn't need help and how you could stop it yourself even though you were still much to weak. You broke free of my grasp and we fought for a second because you refused my help. The Weapon picked up the houses, the paved streets, sidewalks and even the trees and was thrashing them around the entire area."  
  
Aeris now was starting to remember that day now as he spoke with the details so clear in her mind. The pain and fear in the people around her that fled desperately, and screaming for their own lives. Yelling about how it had destroyed the small village of Mideel as well down below on the farest part of the world.  
  
"The Weapon hurled a tree at me." she whispered, beginning to recall what Zack hadn't even spoken now.  
  
"Yes, he did, and you put your hands up and there was this massive blast of light that surrounded you. It was the Materia you probably still carry somewhere on you, called Shield. It's one of the most powerful pieces of Materia that exist today, no other barrier orb can match it's defense, but the orb is only as strong as the owner. you were still much to weak to hold it for long and it broke."  
  
"And I hit my head when continued to come after me." Aeris continued for him.  
  
"Right, but you were still conscious, just not as feisty so we carried you for as far as we could until that night were we went and rested by that one stream and the weapon. it came and attacked again, that's the first time we were all sent into another world."  
  
"But where did Dyne go?" Aeris whispered to herself, knowing that was probably the answer to why he had attacked them so recently in so much hate that even his body in death had to come back for revenge.  
  
"Yeah. your right. where did he go?" Zack repeated to himself starting to concentrate on his own thoughts now of where he might have gone.  
  
"Zack??" Aeris started beginning to look around the area now.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Umm. I'm getting kind of cold. maybe we can talk about this after we get to Midgar?" She told him, partly asking to be relieved of being pruned since they had been standing in the water for quite some time now.  
  
"Oh, umm yeah, let's go then," he quickly responded, and started to clear his throat, as he pulled the Materia in front of his eyes. Aeris's eyes grew in shock as he let go of the shining orb and it floated in midair between them, slightly bobbing with the wind's flow.  
  
"Zack?" she started but he didn't respond to her. Not a word passed his lips as he closed his eyes gently, feeling his energy beginning to drain slightly to power up the crystal of magic.  
  
His lips parted for a moment, but closed just as swiftly as if he was changing his mind about what he was about to say, instead, a soft hum came from him, not rising a single note in pitch, staying completely straight in rhythm.  
  
Then, at that moment, Aeris's eyes grew instantly as she noticed the orb's once gentle soft white and greenish swirls were beginning to glow and become more radiant in texture, but also the swirls were beginning to spin faster within the glass from Zack's steady humming for the crystal of power.  
  
Aeris wanted to back away from it, fearing it more then she wished to, believing that it might backfire at them any moment causing more damage then helpfulness to them.  
  
Slowly though, Aeris began to feel much lighter then before almost as if she had instantly dropped a hundred pounds from her body and it seemed to be the same for Zack as well. Her body began to glide upwards, passing the water's glass surface gently within Zack's arms.  
  
Shaking in fear of what was happening, she glance frantically around her, looking for an explanation but could find none but noticed the orb stayed locked between Zack's tenderly closed eyes, as if it was pulling them upwards all by itself like a crane would.  
  
The water dripped down from them, at first pouring as if forced by the power surrounding them because they had now become lighter then the air itself. Soon, Aeris felt as dry as she had first started out, not even her boots felt the slightest bit damp any longer and Zack began to reopen his eyes.  
  
Swiftly, the radiant light died down as quickly as it had started up and fell down towards the water, but Zack thruster out his hand and snatched it from the air, snapping his fingers closed tightly around it in protection and security of it's safety.  
  
"There. now that wasn't so hard." Zack whispered as he curled his lips back into a smile in amusement at Aeris's surprised expression.  
  
"H- how you'd do that?" She managed to ask him, looking deeply at him now in great confusion for an answer. Zack only chuckled at her question, knowing that he had partly explained it before to her, probably not good enough for her to understand though.  
  
"I'll explain when we get to Midgar, and don't worry, you won't fall." He assured her as he took one step back from her so they were now parted, and released her hand so that she was standing alone without any support. Aeris shook in fear, believing that she might drop back into the water but quickly noticed that she was still in the same position that she had been in when holding to Zack still.  
  
"See? Now, come on, we have a long walk ahead of us." He encouraged as he placed his hand out behind him for her to take.  
  
Cautiously, Aeris lifted her hand above her waist and slipped it into his grasp in trust of his judgment.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Aeris then took a step forward, praying not to fall back into the waters below and after she felt secure she reopened her eyes, only to find that she was still floating.  
  
"You'll get use to it, I promise baby." He assured her, his expression still locked in amusement.  
  
Aeris finally broke her own lips into a soft tender smile as well and nodded in agreement to him, feeling much better now.  
  
"Remember, the first step is always the hardest, it'll only get easier for you now, it's just we'd better hurry because if someone sees us, they're going to attack us. Materia isn't common anymore; it's lucky if you get a single piece that's been almost destroyed." He quickly explained to her.  
  
"Well then, running will be better for us."  
  
"For me, you mean." Zack told her quickly and Aeris looked to him.  
  
"Yeah, guess so." Aeris whispered in response and started towards him slowly, wanting to just lunge at him in protection.  
  
"Come on, a little closer." He continued, curling and uncurling his fingers on his left hand for her to take.  
  
"I'm not a baby you know." She joked with the same attitude she had when she first met him.  
  
Zack could only laugh at her spunky attempt of reminding him of those days long past.  
  
Finally she reached out and gripped his other hand and then instantly fell into his arms, clutching him tightly.  
  
"Oh come now, that wasn't so bad!" he teased as he slightly bent his head over and pressed his lips against her forehead in comfort as he hugged her lightly after releasing her hands from his own.  
  
"Don't be a tease!" she yelled, but her voice was muffled so he didn't understand her. He softly chuckled at her words, slightly beginning to make sense of them.  
  
She pulled away then, a smile spread on her face, and eyed him curiously while turning her smile into a devilish smirk.  
  
"What?" she whispered but Zack just raised his left hand in front of him and started waving it while shaking his head furiously, trying to calm himself.  
  
"Nothing, nothing." He quickly told her, as he held himself back but then dipped his head to the side slightly and captured a deep passionate tender kiss from her lips, placing his hand softly on the side of her face in support.  
  
As he backed off, he took in a deep breath and looked up to the sky in satisfaction whispering to her.  
  
"Now, if only there was a dance club around.. Then I could teach you how to dance too.  
  
"Who says I don't already know?"  
  
"Oh, so you do know how?"  
  
"Just wait until we get to one, then maybe I'll show you."  
  
Zack's eyes widen in surprise, he had never knew Aeris to be so feisty during the day, only when night fell could she really surprise him before.  
  
"Alright, alright, but we've wasted enough time for now, don't you think?" he asked her gently.  
  
"Yeah, guess so, come on let's go then." She encouraged back as she held to his hand and tried to back herself away from his tight hug only to be swept off her feet by his quick movements.  
  
She smiled to him happily and clung her arms around his neck gently as he started to walk off towards the new continent ahead of them, against the ocean's current. 


	33. Beneath The Sea

Chapter 33: Beneath the Sea  
  
Running along the sea Aeris felt slightly odd being carried around as if a no more then a baby doll, but then again she did enjoy being inside Zack's gentle arms, locked safely away within his grasp. The wind was rushing pass her body, the coldness from the breeze was kissing her cheeks as it blew and a faint smile passed her lips again thinking of how Cid and the others might have reacted to her and Zack running upon the surface of the ocean, not a drop touching their frail gentle bodies.  
  
Ahead, she spotted several waves, no higher then a couple inches, but rushing quickly before them as if pushed by invisible hands. It glistened brightly against the afternoon sun and when she let her gaze drop into the ocean she could see for miles down, the intoxication from the plants and animals that lived below did no damage, for the water was as clear as if you'd seen it through a white china glass newly polished. Zack's expression remained unchanged, his pace still a steady rythmn as he kept jogging happily, keeping his grasp tight around Aeris's waist, holding her steady within his arms.   
  
When Aeris returned her gaze to the sea she could spot several dolphins beneath their feet, seeming to race them. She had never seen dolphins before, at least not up close like she was now and laughed out of excitement and Zack turned to face her as she began to giggle.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Dolphins! Look!" She cried pointing down into the water. He laughed in response and began to quicken his pace as he started off, breaking into a sprint now.  
  
"Well they look like they wanna race, I say, they're on!" He cried and Aeris looked to him, her smile only broading as they continued to speed towards the grand city of Mako.  
  
Aeris turned back again to the ocean but her expression quickly changed into dread...  
  
"Zack...?" She started, a hint of fear lodged within it as she shrunk back towards him and locked her arms around his neck, holding close to him for protection.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes still locked ahead of them as they continued to race towards the continent that slivered in front of them now.  
  
"There's something wrong with the water..." She whispered into his ear as if something was going to over hear her.  
  
"What's wrong with the water? Seems perfectly fine to me, a grand dark blue, look! Even the sun has it's reflection upon it and it stretches towards us, like a spot light!" He joked as he continued his steady pace.  
  
"That's it though... it's dark...." She quickly spoke up as she eyed the water in front of them, noticing a long thick shadow now beneath their feet.  
  
"Dark? Naw, you're probably just tired, the water's never dark around here, you can see clear to the b-," He quickly ended his sentence as he lowered his own gaze to the ocean and saw what she was talking about.  
  
Zack began to slow his pace, breaking down to a fast walk and then steadily made his way to a stop. His grip tightened around Aeris as he stood there and examined the deep depths and noticed the waves had become slightly bigger now. Zack kept silent, his eyes locked upon the shadow.  
  
Aeris raised her own gaze to look around the surface for a balloon, plane, nearby mountain, something that could have possibily been casting it from a far but she saw so such object and her fear raised with the utmost quickness.  
  
"Zack, what's casting that thing?" She asked her voice low, still feeling as if watched by something.  
  
"I don't think it's being cast... I think it's right there..." he answered her, kneeling down alittle to see if his theory was correct.   
  
"But it's not moving..." Aeris quickly spoke up to his response and he froze in his spot and pulled his hand to his lips motioning her to stay quiet as he kneeled further towards it.  
  
"What the..." He began and almost instantly two circles formed below their feet, one side the other, ridges point outwards diagnolly but opposite to one another, expressioning the lines devisiously towards them with a grand blood red light that circled their bodies.  
  
"What the hell?!" Zack screamed as he ran towards the outside of the color circle but was only knocked back instantly into the sea's surface. Losing his grip as he fell, Aeris flew from his grasp and hit the other side of the red light. It was clear to the both of them now that this was acting as a cage and there was no pyshical way to release themselves from it. Getting up, Zack shook his vision into focus and ran over to Aeris as she fell limp against the surface of the water.  
  
"No no no! You can't do this! If you fall outta conscience the materia power will wear off, please open your eyes!" he begged her and quickly picked her up in reaction to knowing the weakness of his own spell.  
  
"I will not let you keep me in here!!" Zack screamed as he lowered his head like a bull about to charge and broke into a run towards the circle's side, quickly turning to let his shoulder take the hit for him as he struck it. The reaction was nothing short of the same. He was thrown off his feet and across to the other side but he held Aeris tightly in his arms, fearing she'd fall into the sea and drown if he were to shift his grip the slightest bit. He felt her begin to grow heavy in his arms, weighing his own body down and he began to sink now himself from her own force that lay upon his lap.  
  
Terrified but in pain, he sat for a moment, to deep in thought to move from his spot. He glanced down into the water and noticed the two gazing circles began to move, the inner one spinning clockwise while other outside was turning counter clockwise. Continuing to look down upon them only showed him that they were spinning faster with each passing second, as if gaining power to attack them now. Fear begining to over take him, he became desperate and jumped to his feet, and all while sinking began to coninuiously charge at the ligit bound walls of their new encountered foe but nothing seemed to break them, collasping again after a few minutes of his attack, he remember his other materia and laid Aeris against his chest and turned her body so it stretched out upon his own and dove deep down into his pockets and grabbed the few tiny marble shaped magic balls that he had collected. To devoured into fear to think, he grabbed the biggest one of the green set and placed it upon the center of his palm, clutching it, he turned Aeris again within seconds and jumped to his feet, noticing the thing below them was beginning to suck into the spinning circles beams of light beneath the sea from all directions.   
  
Aeris began to awaken then from her unconscience state and she squinted for a moment as Zack closed his eyes and tighten his grip on the tiny orb tighter, his fingers digging into the palm of his hand as he shook it in fear, sweat pouring down his face. She felt much heavier then before and noticed Zack was struggling with her, but didn't know why he was still holding her, and why they were sinking now. Blinking alittle bit, she looked below only to catch the circles suddenly suck themselves in and disappear within seconds. Zack was mumbling a long line of words that Aeris had no memory of hearing, she tried hard to catch some of them to make them out but none came to mind. Beams of a glorious golden streams began piercing through the cracks of Zack's fingers, and she noticed a familiar liquid beginning to trickle down around his knuckles. It dripped mindlessly below them, staining the water a dark red and he seemed to be talking through his teeth now, trying to hold back the pain and suddenly wedge his hand open and dropped the marble, screaming in pain as he fell back against the blood red lit tomb they were still lodged in.   
  
The orb fell pass them and slowly towards the sea. Zack leaned back, his eyes crunched closed in pain as he reared his hand upwards, crying out in agony, hot tears streaming down his cheeks in reaction to the cuts made from the materia. Aeris's eyes were fixed upon the ball, watching it's every twirl of movement, spinning beams that reflected her eyes as a grand show of glittering lights.   
  
Striking the surface it exploded into a ray that shot straight towards the heavens and a loud groan of pain from below them erupted, as if the world was growling at them for dropping such a thing into it's depts.  
  
Aeris opened her mouth to scream but it was drowned out but the rushing waters that began to boil around them and suddenly exploded upwards, sucking them down into itself as if to punish them for polluting it's waters with the golden magic item. Zack held tightly to her arm with his unspoiled hand, his eyes wide open now, his cheeks puffed from the collection of oxygen lodged into them. Frailing his other hand at her, he desperating tried to grab for her but the current was only growing, pulling them farther apart, their hands slipping from one anothers. Aeris had no time to take in a deep breathe and felt empty inside, her lungs were on fire, and her eyes were burning from the salt water that invaded them and she began to scream out of pain, bubbles flying from her lips in fear of death and she through her other hand forward towards Zack, defying the current that was trying to push it away, but missed. Zack had both his hands outstretched, one latched around her wrist now, pulled down from her upperarm, and his other still fidgetting about in the cold waters as he was pulled and bashed around within the river beneath the ocean. Frantically she through her arm again at him in a desperate attempt to catch his and he met with her own and yanked her as hard as he possibily could downwards into his arms, catching her in them, and holding her tightly. Her vision was beginning to become dark, weakness was overtaking her body, causing it to start to grow limp from the lack of air she so desired now.   
  
Zack quickly pressed his lips against her own and released the air that he kept within in puffed up cheeks into her lungs, replenishing them instantly with as if she had recieved a fresh new breath but it did not last for long, within seconds, Aeris began to feel overwhelmed with the dizziness sense and she looked to the side as she pulled back from Zack's lips and saw a grand white light forming in front of them. Zack was shuddering as they flew with the current, his lungs beginning to take in the firey touch and desperatation to take a breath. Aeris watched as the light began to grow brighter in front of them, but felt as if she was seeing things and turned to see Zack was beginning to turn colors, a faint red and then as blue as the sea and as she looked into his glassly eyes she saw her own reflection was no different then his. Horrified she instantly turned away but a piece of a brown substance caught her eye and before she had a chance to dodge it, it struck within seconds against her forehead and knocked her head backwards and her out of unconscience once again as the light washed over their bodies and devoured them shooting them upwards from beneath the sea.  
  
Zack shot his head upwards and instantly gasped for breath but Aeris was still limp within his arms, her hair flopped over her face like a wet rag doll. Seeing a shore no more then 3 feet in front of him, he began frantically despensing all his energy to reach it, pounding his arms against the water, scooping it behind him as he moved closure.  
  
No more then a few seconds he flipped onto the shore of dry sand and flipped Aeris onto it's banks. Her arms were lifeless as they floppped beside her still body and Zack leaned his face towards her own to see if she was breathing but her chest did not lift to take in the fresh air. Despite his body's cries of weakness he tipped Aeris's head back and pinched her nose, drove his lips upon hers and blew fresh air into her lungs then pulled back but she still did not take more in on her own. Soft tears of tiredness and disbelief fell down his cheeks. Just because something had just happened was no excuse for him to lie down and let her go.  
  
"A- Aeris! No! Breathe damn you!!" he screamed, his tears cluttering up his words as they fell into his mouth. He spit them from it and drove his lips down again into her own, forcing in fresh air to her lungs. As he pulled away he noticed she was twitching slightly and reached his hand up to the side of her neck, his index finger and middle pressed against the upper part of her neck.   
  
Relief swept over him as a strong pulse pumped against his fingers but she was still not breathing on her own. Again, he tipped her head back and took all the air he could suck in and forced it into her body and a second after he drew back, water shot from her mouth as she began to cough, turning on her side, letting it flow out from her body.   
  
"Zack..." she coughed, though her eyes were still closed from exhusation. Zack collasped beside her from his own weakness, his face lying in front of hers, taking in as much air as he could, as she did as well until their lungs felt full with enough to last them for awhile. Zack then closed his eyes as well, nudging his head slightly towards her to kiss her forehead with relief and then passed from consciousness himself, whispering to her before he fell back into his own mind.  
  
"Aeris...." 


End file.
